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The Cancer History Project gets in step with Relay For Life history

The evolution of the global Relay For Life movement is featured in the oncology news publication.

The American Cancer Society's Chief of Organizational Advancement Mike Neal recently reflected on the history of ACS’ Relay For Life: “It was new, and it was exciting. People were telling me you'd go and stay overnight at a high school track. I thought, ‘That sounds like the strangest idea.’

What would later become the global movement that is Relay For Life, one that has raised billions of dollars and touched millions of lives, started simply: with one man and a dream, Dr. Gordy Klatt, pictured above, in the center.

“You laugh, you cry, you feel every emotion in between. It’s a 24-hour roller coaster. But you connect with people in such a strong way. It really brings the community together,” said Brian Marlow, longtime Relay For Life volunteer and chair of the American Cancer Society’s Board of Directors.

Read these reflections and more about this event’s lasting legacy in the Cancer History Project's recent feature article, and like and share the tweet about it.

Created to mark the 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Act of 1971, the Cancer History Project is a free historical resource that places—in perpetuity—a vast, expertly curated collection of primary sources and authoritative interpretations within easy reach of researchers, medical professionals, students, policy-makers, and patients.


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