The American Cancer Society Relay For Life kicks off its new fundraising season on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at Oak Valley Medical Plaza, 1425 W. H St., Oakdale, with a meeting set for 6:30 p.m.

“The American Cancer Society is excited to announce that the communities of Oakdale, Escalon, Riverbank, and Waterford are once again coming together to fight cancer at Relay For Life,” said Relay spokesperson Deanna Medrano. “Together, we can beat our biggest rival. The community is invited to come out and learn more about the Relay For Life movement and how they can help the American Cancer Society attack cancer from every angle.”

Last year, Riverbank and Oakdale joined forces and this year, Escalon and Waterford will also take part in the regional event, foregoing individual Relays in the smaller communities.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life movement is the world’s largest peer-to-peer fundraising event to save lives from cancer. At Relay For Life events, participants celebrate people who have been touched by cancer, remember loved ones lost, and take action for lifesaving change.

During the Wednesday night kickoff event, community members will have the opportunity to register a team for the Relay For Life event, which will is scheduled for May 5 and 6 at the Oakdale High School soccer fields. This is a 24-hour team event, with someone from each team on the track at all times.

Funds raised help the American Cancer Society attack cancer in dozens of ways, each of them critical to achieving a world without cancer – from developing breakthrough therapies to building supportive communities, from providing empowering resources to deploying activists to raise awareness.

Anyone interested in learning more about Relay or those who plan to have a team for the 2018 event are encouraged to attend the Jan. 17 kickoff meeting. For more information, visit RelayForLife.org.