Plans are already underway for the sixth annual Relay For Life of Falls Church, starting with a kickoff event at 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, in the Teen Center of the Falls Church Community Center.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is an overnight event, held in Falls Church in early summer on the track of George Mason High School, that raises funds and awareness to fight cancer.

Each year, local residents, many of them middle school and high school students, organize teams to work together to raise funds for the event. The relay begins with a reception honoring cancer survivors and then both cancer survivors and those who have lost their battle with the disease are remembered during a moving luminaria ceremony that takes place as darkness falls. Teams work to keep at least one team member walking throughout the night because “cancer never sleeps.”

The Falls Church steering committee is also seeking volunteers interested in working on various aspects of this year’s relay. Both long-term and short-term opportunities are available. For more information, contact Katie Gibson at klg84951@yahoo.com.