This past weekend was the 18th Relay For Life fundraiser hosted in Wayne. If you are unfamiliar with Relay For Life, it is a nonprofit organization that raises money for cancer all over the US. For several months both the students at Wayne Valley and Wayne Hills have dedicated themselves to raise money for cancer research. 

The Relay For Life event lasts twelve hours. During these hours, students can enjoy bounce houses, food trucks, outdoor games, music, and so much more. This year’s theme was “Give Cancer the Boot!” In order to raise money, students are able to join a relay team, each team with a country themed name. These teams compete to raise the most money. Team captains make T-shirts for everyone to wear during the event. 

While Relay For Life is lots of fun, it is important to remember why we raise cancer awareness. Throughout the event, there are ceremonies to honor survivors and those who have unfortunately lost their battle with cancer. This year during the Luminaria Ceremony, Paula Sivolella gave a beautiful speech about her son Rocco Sivolella, a former Wayne Valley student who lost his battle with cancer in 2022. After sharing her story, together everyone walked two laps around the track, which was surrounded by luminaries. This ceremony is extremely powerful and brings all students from both schools together. 

This year’s Relay For Life leaders were Gianna Casamassina and Anya Hogan. Together they worked to make this event possible and very successful. By the end of the night, Wayne had raised $50,827 for this very worthy cause!