Community Corner

Mahwah Cancer Survivor Helps School Raise $38K

Teen helped get sky divers to be a part of Relay for Life

Over 300 members of the Paramus Catholic High School community participated in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life on Friday, June 15. Students, faculty, alumni, and friends walked from 7:00 pm on Friday to 7:00 am on Saturday in an effort to fight cancer. They raised over $38,000.

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life gives all of us a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At the Paramus Catholic Relay, whose theme was “Toon Out Cancer,” 33 teams of students, faculty, alumni, and members of the local community took turns walking around the PCHS outdoor track. Because cancer never sleeps, each team had a member walking at all times. 

The event kicked off with an Opening Ceremony at 7:00 pm, which featured two sky divers from Sky Dive Jersey Shore, Inc. in Farmingdale. The sky divers volunteered their services in support of . Timothy Malone, a cancer survivor, graduated from Paramus Catholic this year. Malone addressed the participants in a speech during the Relay. At 7:15, all of the cancer survivors who were present participated in a Survivors Lap, where they circled the track together to celebrate the victories they’ve achieved over cancer. 

Find out what's happening in Mahwahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At 10:00 pm, the participants held a Luminaria Ceremony, where they honored people who have been touched by cancer and remembered loved ones lost to the disease.  Candles were lit inside bags filled with sand, each one bearing the name of a person touched by cancer, and participants walked a lap in silence.

At 2:00 am, Relay participants held a Fight Back Ceremony, where they made a personal commitment to save lives by taking up the fight against cancer. The Relay concluded at 7:00 am.

Find out what's happening in Mahwahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Tiffany Connelly, a Paramus Catholic teacher and Relay for Life organizer said, “I want to thank everyone who supported Paramus Catholic’s Relay for Life and participated in the walk. All of our lives have been affected by cancer in some way, whether it was our own personal battle or the battle of someone we love.  We all have to stick together to fight this horrible disease. It is my hope that our Relay for Life event brings us one step closer to finding a cure.”

Even though the event is over, donations can still be made by going to www.relayforlife.org/paramuscatholicnj.

The above was submitted by Paramus Catholic.

--

Have a question or a news tip? Email the editor Jessica Mazzola at jessica.mazzola@patch.com. Or, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your email inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here