Hundreds of Brooklynites joined others from across the state, country and globe pledging their support to fight cancer on Jan. 8.
“We want to thank everyone who participated in Relay First Lap,” Elaine Delaney wrote on Facebook. “It was truly amazing to see all the videos from Brooklyn, videos from across our beautiful nation and all the videos from around the globe.”
The cancer research organization, Relay For Life, kicked off the year with its First Lap initiative asking people from around the world to go outside, take a walk and post a video of themselves doing so with the hashtag Relay First Lap.
“We want to thank everyone who participated in Relay First Lap,” Delaney wrote to Facebook. “It was truly amazing to see all the videos from Brooklyn, videos from across our beautiful nation and all the videos from around the globe. Everyone did their part in getting the word out about Relay For Life and kicking off the 2022 season.”
Videos poured in from all over the world, and Brooklyn was definitely included. In one series of short films, a group of Brooklynites strolled through Dyker Beach Park around 1 pm with signs emblazoned with words of support to those who are in their fight against cancer — and even a Golden Retriever came out to participate!
The First Lap event takes place several months before the Brooklyn chapter’s main fundraiser, which will be held on June 11, to help spread the word and kick off collecting donations.
The funds will go towards finding treatments for various forms of cancer, which kills around 600,000 people each year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Brooklyn relayers have already collected more than $14,000 ten days into the new year towards their target of reaching $75,000 in 159 days.
The PS 186 Wonder Walkers — Bensonhurst’s Dr. Irving A. Gladstone elementary school — are the team who have raised the most funds as of Jan. 10 with $3,654. The highest individual participant has raised $2,941.
Clarification (Jan. 12): This story has been updated to make clear that this month’s Relay For Life walk was a fundraising kickoff for the local chapter’s main event later this year.
