> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Donations can still be made in SM cancer event - URL: https://www.smdp.com/donations-can-still-be-made-in-sm-cancer-event/ - Published: 2003-07-28T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T02:39:22.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Health, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Donations can still be made in SM cancer event* *By Daily Press staff* Santa Monicans raised more than $70,000 this past weekend for the fight against cancer. The Second Annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life took place this weekend at Santa Monica College and raised $13,000 more than last year. The estimated total raised by 45 Santa Monica-based teams this year was $77,100, said Santa Monica College President Piedad Robertson during closing ceremonies Sunday morning. The team event began Saturday at 9 a.m. and ran continuously until 9 a.m. Sunday at Santa Monica College’s Corsair track. The Relay for Life is a 24-hour community event to increase cancer awareness while raising funds for the American Cancer Society. Teams are made up of at least 10 to 20 people who walked or ran around the SMC track in shifts for the entire 24 hour period. Last year, 30 teams doubled the event’s goal of $30,000 by raising $63,000\. The Santa Monica Police Department was the largest contributor, raising $23,000. The event is not only to raise money to fight cancer, but also to remember loved ones who lost battles to the disease and to celebrate the lives of those who have survived. One of the survivors is the event co-chair and Santa Monica Police Department spokesman Lt. Frank Fabrega, who was also involved with the event last year. Fabrega, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year, said the event was even more important to him. He underwent surgery last month and is now cancer-free. He thanked the Relay for Life teams at the closing ceremony and said that he may not have survived if it weren’t for their efforts. Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s national signature event. It is held in 3,000 communities across the country and raises more than $200 million nationwide. The money from the events accounts for 25 percent of the American Cancer Society’s annual income. More than 1.5 million people participate in Relay for Life, which is the largest nonprofit fundraising event in the world, according to the American Cancer Society. The most emotional part of the event was the luminary ceremony, which honored survivors and remembered those who have died from the disease. At 9 p.m. on Saturday, white bags lined the track that were filled with white sand and a candle. Each one was dedicated to a person touched by cancer and was lit during a special ceremony. The candles burn throughout the night, lighting the way for walkers. Santa Monica resident Neil Carrey, whose son died of cancer, said during the luminary ceremony that if more efforts like the Relay for Life were held, the cure for cancer would be found. He said that the biggest enemy in this country is cancer, which claims hundreds of thousands of people’s lives each year. Carrey said if the government spent its billions of dollars on cancer research and finding a cure instead of on wars, then more people would be alive today. He asked people to contact their legislators to urge them to start spending more money on cancer research. The total raised in Santa Monica will be finalized in a few weeks as donations are still coming in. Anyone who is interested in contributing to the effort can send checks to: The American Cancer Society, attention SM Relay for Life, 5731 West Slauson Ave., Suite 200, Culver City, CA, 90230. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 28, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/072803.pdf?ref=smdp.com)