May 18, 2016 3 min read

Every year, countless people are impacted by cancer. Friends, family and loved ones rally together to support and care for the person who received the diagnosis, because cancer doesn’t discriminate.

On Saturday, you can support cancer survivors and those still battling by attending American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Chartiers-Houston. The community fundraising event will take place at Allison Park Elementary School, 803 McGovern Road, Houston.

“Relay For Life itself is a celebration of cancer survivorship. What we’re doing is highlighting those people who have cancer, and showing the rest of the world that it’s not a death sentence,” said Nancy Verderber, the community manager for Relay For Life. “You can have cancer and it’s a challenge and it’s a hard journey to travel, but there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel.”

According to American Cancer Society, each year more than 4 million people raise funds and awareness for cancer through the Relay for Life movement. Verderber said 34 teams registered this year for the 24-hour relay walk, and American Cancer Society has a fundraising goal of $200,000. Teams raise money both before and during the event.

To kick off Relay For Life, a ribbon-cutting will take place during the opening ceremony at 10:45 a.m. Two survivors – Cruz Miller, an 18-month old boy who recently went into remission from B Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and Vern Cook, and 89-year-old survivor of leukemia – will cut the ribbon.

Cruz was diagnosed with B Cell ALL on Feb. 5. His father, Danny, and mother, Rosalynn, were terrified. When Cruz went into remission after his second round of chemotherapy, Danny said it “felt like we could breathe again.”

“He doesn’t look like he has cancer and he definitely doesn’t act like he has cancer,” remarked Danny. “He’s an active child. He’s happy, always smiling, always laughing, always moving.”

The Miller family is honored Cruz was chosen to cut the ribbon for Relay For Life, and they are astonished by the amount support they received for Cruz during his battle with cancer.

“Rely on as much love and positive energy as you possibly can, because everything seems to kind of be out of your control except the amount of love that you give your child,” Danny said as a piece of advice to other parents who have children that have been diagnosed with cancer.

The Relay For Life finishes at 10:30 a.m. Sunday with the closing ceremony. In between there will be a number of activities and events, such as games, auctions, fundraising and educational programs for cancer survivors and their families.