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# The fight to end cancer begins in Santa Monica Saturday
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-fight-to-end-cancer-begins-in-santa-monica-saturday/
- Published: 2002-08-02T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:35:01.000Z
- Author: Carolyn Sackariason
- Tags: Health, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*24-hour event will raise thousands to find cure*

In its first year in Santa Monica, the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life already has exceeded event organizers’ expectations.

The team event, which begins Saturday at 9 a.m. and runs until 9 a.m. on Sunday, already has raised well over the $30,000 fundraising goal in the fight against cancer, said event organizer Maxine Tatlonghari.

“We are very excited that the event has been so successful in its first year,” she said, adding more will be raised over the weekend.

The Santa Monica Police Department may end up being the largest fund-raiser, with $14,200 already accounted for as of Thursday afternoon. Glenda Jacobs, who works in the city’s rent control office, has raised $5,200 for her team.

The Relay For Life is a 24-hour event to increase cancer awareness while raising much needed funds for the American Cancer Society. Teams are made up of at least 10 to 15 people who will walk or run around the Santa Monica College Corsair Field track in shifts. Walkers are still needed and are welcome to join teams that are short on people, like the Daily Press.

There will be at least 75 survivors of cancer — representing all forms — walking the opening lap on Saturday morning, Tatlonghari said. Cancer survivors from throughout the community are invited to walk in the celebration of life, while the rest of the participants cheer them on. A reception will follow for survivors hosted by Shutters on the Beach and Casa Del Mar hotels.

The most emotional part of the event is a luminary ceremony, which honors survivors and remembers those who have died from the disease. In the evening, white bags line the track that are filled with white sand and a candle. Each one is dedicated to a person touched by cancer and is lit during a special ceremony. The candles burn throughout the night, lighting the way for walkers.

People can still purchase a luminary in “honor” of someone who is battling cancer, or has survived cancer, or in memory of someone who lost his or her battle with cancer. You do not need to be present or a participant in the relay to take part in the ceremony. Contact Tatlonghari at (213) 368-8537 for information on where to purchase a luminary, or to sign up to be a participant.

Team participants will camp out through the night while enjoying music and entertainment, as well as building team spirit and raising money.

Santa Monica’s Relay For Life has 30 teams, with each one paying a $150 registration fee. Each team member is encouraged to raise at least $100 through individual donations from family, friends and co-workers.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s national signature event. Last year, Relay For Life took place in nearly 3,000 communities across the country and raised more than $211 million nationwide. The money from the events account for 25 percent of the American Cancer Society’s annual income.

More than 1.5 million people will participate in Relay For Life, which is the largest nonprofit fundraising event in the world, according to the American Cancer Society.

Santa Monica College is located at 1900 Pico Boulevard.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 2, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/080202.pdf?ref=smdp.com)