One Day. One Night. One Community. One Fight. Relay for Life is a community-based fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. Niles North High School and Niles West High School team up each year to hold the Skokie, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove and Niles (SLMGN) Relay For Life Event.

Relay For Life started in 1985 with a vision of one single volunteer, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon who ran the track for 24 hours straight by himself to raise money for the American Cancer Society. This is how the Relay For Life Movement started.

This year the annual May event will be held at Niles North High School on Friday, May 24, 2019. The RFL event is held from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. During these six hours of nonstop fun, we will be celebrating the lives of those we love, remembering the lives of those we have lost, and reflect upon the hard-fought journey of those who have heard the words “you have cancer” have faced.

District 219 Relay For Life for the past 15 years has raised over $1,500,00 for cancer research and other services for cancer patients. The mission of the American Cancer Society is to eliminate cancer so nobody will ever have to hear the words “you have cancer”.

“Not only is Relay For Life a club at Niles North, but it is also an event at the end of the year. As a way to celebrate a year of fighting cancer and fundraising, we come together for performances, food, games, contests, and, most importantly, a walk. We walk to show cancer that we will keep the fight moving. Really, most of us don’t run, but you can if you want to.” said Gary Chu (Relay For Life Sponsor).

If you’d like to get involved sooner on May 2, Relay For Life will be holding their annual Relay For Life Dodgeball Event. The event will be held after school in the Niles North Fieldhouse. The cost is $50 per team with 6-10 people on each team.