The Relay For Life of Greater Stanislaus County – encompassing the Modesto, Oakdale, Turlock and Riverbank areas – is scheduled for the second weekend in October at John Thurman Field in Modesto. Teams from Escalon – which was part of the Oakdale-Escalon-Riverbank Relay in the past – are also encouraged to join in with the larger combined event.

This will be the second year for the ‘Greater Stanislaus County’ combined Relay, having a successful inaugural event in October, 2021. Organizers and American Cancer Society officials said the location in Modesto seemed to be a good centralized spot and the home of the Modesto Nuts minor league baseball team was a great venue for the event.

The ELT, Event Leadership Team, has planned the Relay kickoff for Thursday, April 28 at the North Modesto Church of God, 1918 Sherwood Ave., Modesto beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Team captains and team members from last year are invited and encouraged to attend. Anyone interested in learning more about Relay For Life and the work of the American Cancer Society is also welcome to attend. This year’s Relay will be a 24-hour event, beginning Saturday, Oct. 8 and running through Sunday morning, Oct. 9.

Cancer survivors are special guests at the event, which also features team booths with a variety of food and merchandise for sale as fundraisers for ACS. Team members walk the track throughout the 24 hours and there is music, theme laps, fun activities, a ‘kids camp’ and more. The event also features the Saturday evening luminaria ceremony and an area of the field is devoted entirely to survivors and caregivers, with games, food and prizes.