McHentry county combines to make one Relay For Life

Two Relays For Life have been combined into one this year in McHenry County.

The American Cancer Society will combine both North and South McHenry County events for the first time on Saturday after inclement weather caused organizers to cancel the South McHenry County event.

The event will start at 6 p.m. at Albert Adams Township Park, 370 Richmond Road, Johnsburg and continue through the night until 6 a.m. Sunday.

Dave Riggs, regional vice president for Relay For Life, said they expect 300 participants who signed up for the North McHenry event and hope the other 300 to 400 people who signed up for the South event will still be able to come.

There will also be around 200 survivors, including the ones originally planned to attend the South McHenry event.

“Relay For Life is a community-based event and you try not to ask survivors to travel very far, so sometimes you split up the events in one county,” Riggs said of why there are have been two separate events in McHenry County.

Riggs has been involved with the American Cancer Society for 10 years and got involved after he lost his father to cancer when he was in high school.

“I joined because I’ve always believed in the non-for-profit organizations ... and many members of my family have been touched by cancer,” Riggs said.

One of the unique things about the North McHenry Relay is it is held in a park, which means the organizers create their own track using luminaria to illuminate the track.

All Relays For Life welcome people who do not sign up to come and join the activities. Donations can be made at the event or online at relayforlifenorthmchentry.com. Donations are not required to attend.

For information on honoring a loved one with a luminaria, call the American Cancer Society at (630) 879-9047; for details on the McHenry Relay For Life, visit relayforlifenorthmchenry.com.