Lemon Grove to Relay for Life This Weekend

The sixth annual Relay for Life of Lemon Grove, a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society, will take place at for 24 hours on May 21-22.

Community members will gather to celebrate survivors, remember lost loved ones and fight back against cancer.

“When you get to the relay, you really understand how it’s organized and what it’s all about,” said event chair Jennifer Mendoza.

Mendoza has helped plan the Relay for Life of Lemon Grove for the past few years. She used to walk in the La Jolla Relay for Life until Lemon Grove formed its own event. She said their relay has grown larger each year.

“I’ve seen more people in the community getting involved,” Mendoza said. “That’s our goal—to get more and more people involved.

“I’ve noticed that once a team is involved, it’s rare for them to drop out,” she added. “Usually, people get involved and they stay involved.”

Last year, about 400 people participated in the relay and raised about $35,000, Mendoza said. Fundraiser organizers expect more than 400 people to participate this year, in hopes of raising $40,000.

So far, 24 teams and 232 participants have signed up on Lemon Grove’s Relay for Life’s website. More than $18,000 has already been raised prior to the start of the relay, according to the website.

The fundraiser, which begins Saturday at 9 a.m., is open to everyone.

“Each team tries to have someone on the track walking for the entire 24 hours,” Mendoza explained. “Some people will come and stay the entire 24 hours, and some people will come and walk two hours and then they’ll go home.

“It’s your choice,” she said. “You can do it any way you want.”

Many of the teams registered so far represent Lemon Grove schools, churches and organizations, such as the Soroptimist International of Lemon Grove.

Teams often camp out in tents, Mendoza said. Teams also have their own booths and sell food and crafts to raise even more money, she said.

In addition, there will be a variety of activities and entertainment throughout the event. Among those is the Luminaria Ceremony on Saturday at 9 p.m., which Mendoza said is one of the highlights of the relay.

Participants decorate bags that are lit by candles and lined around the track.

“It’s a very solemn time,” she said. “ People walk around the track and remember people they’ve lost or people they hope will overcome the disease. It’s just a very solemn, reflective ceremony.”

If you want to participate, come to Lemon Grove Middle School at any time on May 21-22. For more information, and to donate or register online, visit Lemon Grove’s Relay for Life’s website.

"If you go once, you’ll just want to keep going back," Mendoza said.