ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — Over 150 people are walking in Altoona to help cancer survivors and to remember those who lost their battle with cancer during the Relay for Life of Blair County.
The event began at 11 a.m. Friday morning at Mansion Park where 176 people gathered for this year’s relay to walk for 24 hours.
Organizers said a member from each team will walk every hour on a rotating schedule. Participants who are not walking will have several fun activities for kids and adults throughout the event as well as food, music and ceremonies.
“It’s just wonderful. We love to see the people that come back year after year and we have a lot of our teams who have been involved for a long time. So it’s wonderful to see them all come back every year,” Relay for Life of Blair County Coacher Debbie Osborn said.
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At 7 p.m., ceremonies will start followed by a survivor’s walk. Closing ceremonies are scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. Saturday morning with the last lap at 11 a.m.
The organization collects donations for cancer research and for cancer patient advocacy. According to the Relay for Life of Blair County, they raised $99,899.12, surpassing their goal of $70,000.
Anyone wishing to donate to a participant, team or event to help the American Cancer Society can do so online here.