Buffalo Grove Relay for Life Raises More Than $82,000

More than 400 community members gathered Friday night to honor and remember those who have battled cancer while raising money to help fight the disease.

The annual Relay for Life of Buffalo Grove/Stevenson, held this year at Buffalo Grove High School, attracted teams of students, village officials, community organizations and businesses who spent hours walking the track around the football field. 

The all-night event also featured a luminaria ceremony, during which the lights were turned off and bags that were purchased by supporters were illuminated with glow sticks. Each bag bore the name of someone who has fought cancer.

Relay for Life kicked off with laps featuring cancer survivors and their caregivers. During a later ceremony, 2012 Buffalo Grove High School graduate and cancer survivor Michelle O’Leary shared her personal story, telling the crowd, “Cancer is everywhere.”

“When my parents told me I had cancer, it was the scariest thing I’d ever heard. Nobody wants to hear that,” she said. “Although it was a difficult time, it was hope, love and faith that pulled me through. I was so blessed to have people reach out to me. Family and friends, and even strangers, telling me to fight back and helping me to heal. I encourage everyone to reach out to people going through this experience because I know it brightened up my day and I’m sure it will brighten up theirs. We need more survivors. We need a cure. We need more help. We need each other. We need hope. We need the American Cancer Society.”

Relay for Life is one of the American Cancer Society's signature events. Unofficial fundraising totals on the event’s website showed that the Buffalo Grove/Stevenson effort had raised more than $82,000 by the weekend.