The Relay for Life of Greater Fall River held its opening ceremony, a gathering to celebrate cancer survivors, honor caregivers, remember those lost, and raise funds for the American Cancer Society. The event was emceed by Christopher Lichfield, the Event Lead and a 23-year cancer survivor, and Chris Palmer, the Entertainment Lead. The ceremony began with the national anthem, sung by Evan Massud of Fred TV. The speakers highlighted the global impact of Relay for Life, noting it has raised $6.9 billion since its inception and supports programs like Hope Lodge communities and the Road to Recovery, which provided over 545,000 nights of free lodging and 71,000 rides to treatment in 2024, respectively.
Christopher Lichfield shared his personal story of being diagnosed with a rare soft tissue cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, at age four in 2003. He emphasized how fundraising and research have dramatically improved survival rates for his cancer from 50-70% to nearly 90%. The event organizers announced they had raised $68,000 so far, with a goal of reaching $100,000 by the end of the night. They extended thanks to the event leadership team, team captains, volunteers, participants, and numerous sponsors, including Primacare, All Day All Night Towing, and Liberty Utilities. The ceremony concluded with survivors reading the poem “What Cancer Cannot Do,” followed by the traditional Survivor Lap to kick off the relay.
Topics discussed
- 0:04 · National Anthem Performance
Evan Massud from Fred TV was introduced to sing the national anthem to open the ceremony. - 2:19 · Relay for Life Mission and Impact
Event leads Christopher Lichfield and Chris Palmer discussed the purpose of Relay for Life, its 40-year history, and its global impact, having raised $6.9 billion to fight cancer. - 4:06 · American Cancer Society Programs
The speakers highlighted several ACS programs funded by Relay, including Hope Lodge communities, the ACS Cares app, and the Road to Recovery program, which provided over 71,000 rides in 2024. - 5:16 · Cancer Statistics
Statistics were shared, noting that over 2 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year, including 43,250 people in Massachusetts. - 5:55 · Personal Survivor Story
Christopher Lichfield shared his story of being diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma at age four and how research has increased the survival rate from 50-70% to nearly 90%. - 9:30 · Volunteer and Participant Recognition
The event leadership team, team captains, day-of volunteers, Diamond students, and over 250 registered participants were thanked for their efforts. - 10:34 · Fundraising Update and Goal
It was announced that the event had raised $68,000 so far, with a goal of reaching $100,000 by the end of the night. - 13:58 · Sponsor Recognition
Several sponsors were thanked, including Primacare, All Day All Night Towing, Wingland Golf Cars, Stop and Shop, Toyota Dartmouth, Raw Seafoods, Coca-Cola, Domino’s, and Liberty Utilities. - 16:06 · Caregiver Recognition
A special thank you was given to all caregivers who support cancer survivors through their journey. - 17:18 · Survivor Poem and Lap
Survivors read the poem “What Cancer Cannot Do” before being led by the “four river youth” for the opening Survivor Lap.