For 12 hours this weekend, the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds was transformed into a celebration, festival and remembrance event by thousands of Georgians impacted by cancer and working toward a cure for the disease.
About 242 teams and more than 5,500 people participated in the Relay For Life event in 2016. The annual fund-raising walk in Lawrenceville, held 7 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday, is the largest Relay For Life event in the country, organizers said. The Gwinnett event raised $1.4 million this year.
The all-night event at the fairgrounds raises money for the American Cancer Society, and is one of 144 such events in Georgia, which are mainly held in the spring and summer months. Teams sign up to participate in the fall and begin fundraising well before events are scheduled.
Relay For Life teams camp out overnight and take turns walking or running around a track or path, and each team must have at least one member on the track at all times, according to organization rules.
The event also includes special laps to celebrate survivors and caregivers. A luminaria ceremony honoring people battling cancer and remembering those who have lost the battle is also held.
What makes the Gwinnett event so successful?
Much of the success stems from the overwhelming support from the county school system and organizers who make it a very youth-friendly event, said Linda Davidson, senior director of Relay For Life for Georgia. Davidson travels across the state attending events and working with organizers and volunteers. She has attended more than 30 Relay For Life events this season.
“Gwinnett is a great county community where people care about and support one another. Gwinnett is a community that keeps it personal,” she said.
The goal is $2 million for Gwinnett in 2016, and organizers have until the end of the summer to reach it.
“If any group can do it, Gwinnett can,” Davidson said.
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