BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The Relay for Life draws to a close Sunday with cancer survivors, their caregivers and supporters all walking laps over the weekend to raise money to battle cancer while honoring cancer survivors and caregivers.
The Relay for Life closing ceremonies had dozens of people pack the area to walk their final lap for cancer survivors.
The last lap signaled the end of the 24 hour event. Many of the people that walked the lap, camped out overnight but one man didn’t camp, he ran and walked laps the entire 24 hours.
“Running and walking and it was brutal,” Nate Wren a cancer survivor advocate said. “It hurt but it is nothing compared to what people have gone through. Today some people were telling me their stories every time I was in pain. Another cancer survivor would come up and tell me their story and I was like, I can’t let them down.”
Event organizers said they raised hundreds of thousand dollars over the weekend … and money is still coming in.
“Our grand total is $294,763.62,” Donna Hermann the senior development manager for Relay for Life said. “So we went over our goal, super exciting and we have until August 31st to continue to raise money for the 2022 relay so we have blown it out of the ballpark because of you guys and all your efforts that you do. So thank you, thank you, thank you so much!”
Staff members expect another $15,000 to be collected within the next week. Hermann explained even $25 can go a long way to help a people fighting cancer.
“$25 helps get a ride to someone for their treatments,” Hermann said. “$100 helps with hotel lodging. There’s so much this money does. Every dollar counts and we do not stop because cancer does not win.”
Organizers said that just because the event is over doesn’t mean they are going to be stopping anytime soon. They will continue to come out every year until the cure for cancer is found.
