By Amy Batista, Special Writer
FLORENCE — Hundreds of community members walked united in the fight against cancer this May.
To celebrate Florence’s annual Relay for Life, Township Council members dressed in purple for their May 1 meeting, a date proclaimed Paint the Town Purple Day by Mayor Craig Wilkie.
A proclamation for the special day was approved at the March 6 meeting. The Florence mayor also encouraged the community to participate and show support by embracing the purple theme.
”I know the schools picked up on it and some local businesses,” Mayor Wilkie said. “It’s good for that participation.”
According to the resolution, read by Mayor Wilkie in March, the color purple theme was established by the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life nationwide campaign.
”The Relay for Life event is the American Cancer Society’s premier event,” Mayor Wilkie added.
The Relay for Life was held May 3 and May 4 at the Florence Township Memorial High School.
The relay is a team walk.
The organizers were led by co-chairwomen Kara Linico, of Florence, and Barbara Mayer, of Roebling.
This year, there were 540 participants, which included more than 70 survivors, according to Ms. Linico.
The event raised “$78,000 as of Saturday afternoon, but teams are still raising money throughout the spring and summer,” Ms. Linico said.
While the relay began Friday night with opening ceremonies, it continued through Saturday morning.
”The goal is to always have someone on the track at all times,” Ms. Mayer said.
”The (local) relay was started in 2010 by Carey Trayne, of Florence, and myself as a way to honor two staff members (of the Florence Township School District) who we lost — Elizabeth Connors and Rich Buccigrosse,” Ms. Mayer said Monday.
Within its first three years, the Florence relay raised $284,982, she said.
”This event has given many people a way to fight back against the horrible disease,” Ms. Mayer said.
She added the annual event is also “a way to honor those who we lost to it.”
The Florence Township Police Department was part of team, Florence Township Emergency Services, which marched for the fourth consecutive year. The team had 14 members from the Florence Township Fire Department, emergency services and Police Department.
”We have raised over $1,700 (to date),”Officer Nicole Bonilla said May 6. “We still have a fundraiser in June for a comedy night.”
In other news, the council took a tour of the Subaru of America’s new parts distribution center and training facility at the NFI Park at Florence Crossings at 2020 Route 130 North.
Subaru broke ground on its facility Aug. 22.
”It’s massive,” Mayor Wilkie said. “It’s something very important, very different than what we have ever seen in this community.”
