Mt. Lebanon Relay for Life returns on Saturday, June 7, from 2 to 10 p.m. at Mt. Lebanon High School. Event organizer Kris Callendar wants attendees to be aware of two changes to this year’s Relay: the later start time and a special dinner celebration.

Relay for Life is a chance for the community to support those impacted by cancer, and to raise funds for research, programs and support services through the American Cancer Society (ACS). At Mt. Lebanon’s event, participants gather on the high school track, walking in teams throughout the day.

Live music, games, a butterfly release, food and family activities will be happening all day around the track. This year, the survivor and caregiver celebration will be a new dinner gathering from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The day ends with a luminaria ceremony at dusk, a symbol of hope and remembrance.

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of Relay for Life. In 1985, Dr. Gordon “Gordy” Klatt walked and ran for 24 hours around a track in Tacoma, Washington, raising $27,000 for the ACS. Since then, the event became the largest fundraising event of its kind, with Relay for Life events in more than 20 countries.

Funds raised from Relay for Life support ACS’s mission to improve the lives of people battling cancer and their families. In 2024 alone, ACS programs helped 152 million people, through services like Hope Lodge, which provides a free place to stay for cancer patients and their caregivers, saving families millions of dollars in lodging costs, and the Road to Recovery program, which provided over 759,000 free rides to treatment.

For Kate Truver, Sunset Hills, the event is deeply personal. Truver joined the Relay in 2010 with family team Totally Bern in memory of her sister, Bernadette, who died of breast cancer in 2008. Since then, Truver has served as a co-chair and on the event leadership team.

“The Relay is a concrete way to take back the power,” said Truver. “I see cancer as a beast. A beast that makes us feel helpless, afraid, angry and confused. Every penny we have raised, every person we reach to share the mission and the support that ACS has to offer is a strike back at the beast.“

Kate’s commitment to the cause grew stronger after her brother, Emmet, was diagnosed with colon cancer five years after Bernadette’s death.

“The resources that ACS has available to support those battling cancer, their caregivers and loved ones were invaluable and literally life saving for my brother,” explained Truver. “As his primary caregiver, I called the ACS 800 number often. That 24/7 support line provided answers to questions, offered direction and information again and again. He battled appendix cancer two years after colon cancer and is surviving and thriving!”

For those looking to get involved for the first time, Truver offered some advice.

“There are so many ways to participate in Relay. It’s easy to form a team and there are lots of creative ways to fundraise all throughout the year leading up to the actual event.”

For more information on how you can get involved, visit the Mt. Lebanon Relay for Life website or reach out to event organizer Kris Callender, kris.callender@cancer.org.