Relay for Life 2023 set for Nov. 18th at UOG Calvo Fieldhouse

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life is back and right around the corner!

In a heartfelt declaration, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero proclaimed November as the launch of the 2023 Relay for Life celebration, standing in support of cancer survivors and their families.

The annual event, organized by the American Cancer Society, is a movement aimed at fighting back against cancer. At the ceremony held at the Westin Resort, event coordinator Joe Rios highlights the island's shared struggle with cancer.

“Whereas our island community is not immune to the difficulties and tragedies of cancer. On average, one person is diagnosed with cancer each day. And every 2.3 days, one resident of Guam dies.”

ACS Development Manager, Ed Lee introduces this year’s theme to be, “Hope.”

Initially planned for July 29th, the Relay for Life event was postponed due to Typhoon Mawar and will now take place indoors at the University of Guam Calvo Fieldhouse on Saturday, November 18, from 4:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m.

"So this year is a little bit different especially because we had typhoon Mawar. We are actually indoors which we’ve never done before. It’ll be nicer because we’ll have AC that we’ve never had before and you don’t have to worry about lighting. Lights going to all be provided." 

The indoor venue ensures a comfortable environment with air conditioning and ample lighting, allowing attendees to focus on celebrating survivors and their remarkable journey. Ed Lee remarks,

"This isn’t an event for us, it was for the survivors. It’s their moment. It’s also to show hope to a lot of the cancer patients. That you know what, typhoon or not, we can beat a typhoon and we can beat cancer."