Why I Relay For Life: 'It’s a Passion, a Calling'

Renee Sarnicki gets teared up just thinking about the culmination of her and her team's year of fundraising for the Clark Relay For Life, which begins Friday at Arthur L. Johnson High School.

This year, Sarnicki's team – Rahway Regional Cancer Center – has already raised a whopping $41,169 for the American Cancer Society, a record-breaking total for over the six year's Sarnicki has been involved.

"It's amazing in these economic times," Sarnicki, 49, from Linden, told Patch.

Sarnicki has worked as a cancer nurse at Rahway Regional for more than 17 years and got started with Relay when one of her patients, Christine Ianco, helped to bring the American Cancer Society event to Clark.

"She was very instrumental in bringing the Relay to Clark," says Sarnicki. "She was battling her own cancer journey and it was very important to her before she left us that we carry on."

The Rahway Regional Cancer Center team has surged in participants over the years, with around 500 members this year. Sarnicki alone has raised more than $8,000 of the team's total and is the top individual fundraiser for Clark's Relay.

"It’s a passion, a calling," says Sarnicki. "I love my job, I love what I do, and even though I haven't personally had anyone in my family affected by cancer, my patients are like my family. I really want people to get more involved and educated. The American Cancer Society offers so many wonderful programs - from free wigs to transportation to treatment and more. And Relay for Life is about educating and helping people get through this and knowing that they are not alone."

Sarnicki usually sets a goal of $10,000 for the team, but after raising more than $34,000 last year, she decided to set the big $40,000 goal.

"I couldn’t do half of what I do if it wasn't for my amazing committee, my co-chairs," says Sarnicki. "I'm very fortunate. It's not Renee who raised $40,000, it's every single person on the team who got us there."

And this year is extra important for another reason, says Sarnicki.

"My team co-chair, Mark Evans, a Linden police officer, was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer," says Sarnicki. "I wanted to make a difference for him this year. He has been instrumental in helping my team and making it what it is. They are trying to honor him and carry through what he and I had set in place six years ago. We made a banner for him and are going to do lap in his honor since he can't come this year. When I think about making the goal, I think about him – he always says 'Nothing is impossible.'"

This year's Clark Relay total has already topped $125,000, with 37 teams and 973 participants.

Ruthanne Brown, of team Kiss Away Cancer, joined Relay 18 years ago after participating with her mother, Claire, who was battling breast cancer. Brown says the event took place only five days after her mother had her final radiation treatment.

"We were totally sucked in," says Brown. "It's so uplifting to be surrounded by that many survivors. In the past 18 years since I became involved with Relay, I've seen many positive changes regarding quality of life for those who are currently battling cancer. There are more treatment options for patients, and there are now medications available to curb side effects - which in some cases makes treatment much more tolerable."

Kiss Away Cancer has raised $7,348 and the team captain, Robin Brown (a breast cancer survivor herself), is the top two individual fundraiser for this year's event behind Sarnicki with more than $5,000 raised.

This year’s event runs from 6 p.m. Friday, June 14th, with the opening ceremony and survivor lap, to 6 a.m. Saturday June 15th, at the Arthur L. Johnson High School Turf Field located on 365 Westfield Avenue in Clark. Registration begins at 4 p.m.

According to the American Cancer Society, Relay began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington, ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay has grown from a single man’s passion to fight cancer into the world’s largest movement to end the disease. Acknowledging that cancer never sleeps, Relay for Life continues through the night. Participants have committed to keeping a member of their team walking or running on the track for the duration of the event. Teams set up camp for the night around the track with tents and refreshments.

At 9 p.m. is the remember luminaria ceremony – which includes the lighting of candles in bags of sand surrounding the track bearing the names of loved ones who are still fighting and those who have lost their battle with the disease. At 11 p.m. is the fight back ceremony, which rallies participants to continue the fight against cancer.

This year's theme is “When you Wish Upon a Cure” and it is also the American Cancer Society’s 100th year.

Relay For Life invites everyone to attend for food, fun, and games. The night will feature two DJ's, an open mike contest, Zumba and Hip Hop dancing. A Kids Korner will be filled with activities for children to do such as arts and crafts, face painting and a castle to bounce around in. There will be a water balloon toss, tug-of-war, three-legged races, a volleyball tournament, Minute To Win It games and much more.

You can also support Relay for Life by purchasing a track sign with your name, company name or personal message on it, which will then be placed around the track. Also, placed around the track are the luminaria bags that you can purchase and design yourself in memory, support or in honor of someone fighting cancer.

"Relay For Life events are more than just fundraisers," writes publicity chair Christian Alvarado. "They’re life-changing experiences. We walk to create a world with more birthdays."

Relay For Life supports the American Cancer Society’s mission to help people stay well through education and prevention, get well with support services, find cures through research, and fight back by mobilizing local communities.

At relay events, every person in the community has a chance to celebrate survivorship and the victories we’ve achieved over cancer. The events honor those who have been touched by cancer and remember loved ones lost to the disease. Relay For Life participants make a commitment to take up the fight against cancer and take action to help put an end to this disease.

For more information about Relay For Life or the American Cancer Society or to make a donation, please visit the Relay For Life website relayforlife.org/clarknj or you can contact Event Chair Karen Infantino at poolkaren@aol.com or at 908-403-4298 or the American Cancer Society Staff Partner Juliane Russell at juliane.russell@cancer.org or at 973-232-2574.