Yorktown Rallies Behind Annual Relay For Life Event June 14

On Friday, June 14, local participants will join together at the annual Relay For Life of Yorktown, at the Jack DeVito Veterans Memorial Field, to help beat our common rival -- cancer. The event starts at 4 p.m. and runs until 11 p.m.

The Relay For Life of Yorktown Event Leadership Team welcomes community members to join it on the track to honor and remember loved ones lost to cancer.

To register for Relay, and for more information, please visit www.relayforlife.org/yorktownny or call 1-800-227-2345.

Back for the second consecutive year to emcee the event will be community volunteer and media personality Bruce Apar of APAR PR. In addition to helping promote local businesses and organizations through his boutique agency, Bruce is an actor and a writer. He is a "Mayor" for Yorktown Patch, and sits on the boards of Yorktown Chamber of Commerce and Yorktown Athletic Club, as well as other organizations.

Along with wife Elyse and daughter Elissa, the Apars raise funds for recreation and education in the community through the Harrison Apar Field of Dreams Foundation, in memory of his son.

Bruce dedicates his role in Relay to his good friend, the late Randy Zapakin, who was instrumental in helping to popularize the event in its early days as its tireless MC for seven years. In his memory, a Randy Zapakin Voice of Relay Award is presented at the event.

This year’s event highlights include: inflatables for children sponsored by Funflatables, a pizza truck by Roger & Sons, the Yorktown High School Jazz Band performance, the Light Saber Guild teaching light saber classes, Once Upon a Tea Party will be doing princess and superhero meet and greets and so much more. Opening Ceremony will be at 7 p.m., the Luminaria Ceremony at 10 p.m., followed by the closing ceremony. All survivors and caregivers are invited to attend our Survivor and Caregiver dinner at 5:30 p.m. with food generously donated by local restaurants.

The Relay For Life of Yorktown is supported by many local businesses and organizations. This year’s sponsors include: Park Ford of Mahopac, Club Fit, Preferred Care at Home, the Yorktown Lions Club, WHUD, the Yorktown News, Douglas Dill, and Houlihan Lawrence. A special thank you to the Town of Yorktown for hosting and helping with this event year after year.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is the only organization fighting cancer on every front. Funds raised from Relay For Life events allow the ACS to attack cancer in dozens of ways, each of them critical to achieving a world without cancer – from developing breakthrough therapies and innovative research, to building supportive communities that come together to help those affected by cancer with access to treatment. The ACS provides empowering resources to deploying activists to raise awareness and develop game-changing approaches to address the cancer burden for all people.

Founded by Dr. Gordy Klatt in Tacoma, Washington, in 1985, the Relay For Life movement of 3.5 million participants across the world unite at more than 4,500 events to celebrate people who have been touched by cancer, remember loved ones lost, and take action for lifesaving change. Symbolizing the battle waged around the clock by those facing cancer, the event can last up to 24 hours and empowers communities to take a stand against cancer. Since 1985, Relay For Life events in the U.S. have raised more than $6.3 billion.