The event that many fundraisers have been leading up to during the past two months is scheduled to take place tonight at Huff Park as numerous Harlan Countians gather to celebrate their survival of cancer as well as to honor those less fortunate who have succumbed to the disease.

The Relay for Life Celebration Walk has become a traditional way to show support to those who have battled with the disease of cancer and won as well as to remember those who lost their battle.

Marti Harris, community representative of the American Cancer Society, said that the celebration walk is something that everyone who has survived cancer or anyone who has lost a loved one to the disease as well as just anyone who wants to show their support to the cause should consider being a part of each year.

There are currently 14 teams that will be participating in tonight’s event, making it a much larger crowd when compared to last year’s total of five teams.

“It seems that each year the teams grow in number and that is a wonderful thing to look forward to each year — to know that so many people care about the importance of raising funds for this issue,” said Rachel Baker, team captain for the Harlan ARH team. “It is also exciting to learn how many people are actually surviving cancer as the years go by.”

The event is planned to begin at 7 p.m. and last until the following morning at 7 a.m. with importance focused on the night hours in honor of the many cancer patients who have endured many “sleepless nights” following their diagnosis.

“It is also centered around the night hours in order to steer people on to look forward to the morning light as kind of a metaphor for how their situation will turn out in the end,” said Harris. “It is kind of like a symbol of them looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Harris said that the majority of the proceeds from the fundraisers centered around tonight’s event will be used for cancer research in helping find a cure. However, she also noted at that a portion of the funds are set aside to help with information packets for newly diagnosed cancer patients as well as a portion of the funds going to The Hope Lodge in Lexington, which serves as a place to stay for area patients and their families when needed.

Harris also said the American Cancer Society funds a scholarship program annually for young cancer survivors to pursue an undergraduate degree from an accredited university, community college or vocational/technical school.

Harris said everyone is invited to come out to Huff Park and be a part of the American Cancer Society’s signature event of the year where they not only concentrate on walking laps but focus their energies on the importance of ridding human life of this devastating disease.

To become a part of the Relay for Life annual fundraising events contact Harris at (606) 231-0873.

American Cancer Society statistics show that one in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with some type of cancer in their lifetime.

According to data of the cancer society, the Pap smear for women and the PSA for men were both developed through the American Cancer Society and by standards of this same data it has been noted that the sooner cancer of any type is diagnosed the better the chances of survival.