Beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, June 17, and continuing throughout the night and following morning until 9 a.m., the Duneland community will come together during American Cancer Society's Relay for Life of Duneland.

Local residents near the event site, Chesterton Middle School, 651 W. Morgan Ave., will hear a little extra noise from the community gathering to celebrate, remember and fight back. All surrounding neighbors, along with the entire community, are invited to attend.

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember the loved ones lost and fight back against the disease.

At Relay, teams of people camp out and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event.

Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.

Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 20 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer.

Thanks to Relay participants, we are creating a world with more birthdays - a world where cancer can't claim another year of anyone's life. We aren't just fighting one type of cancer, we're fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community.

The Relay will feature an opening ceremony with the Survivor's Lap at 6 p.m., a local band, For Amusement Only, playing from 7 -9 p.m., the Luminaria Ceremony at dusk and a closing ceremony Saturday morning.

The evening, night and morning will be filled with food, fun, music, games, teams with on-site fundraisers and plenty of great activities.

For more information, to donate or dedicate a luminaria, please visit www.relayforlife.org/dunelandin

or contact Brianna Herndon at (219) 406-4341 or brianna.Herndon@cancer.org

The American Cancer Society may be reached at 800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org

Posted 6/16/2011