Homewood Relays for Life

Homewood will be the site of two Relay for Life fundraisers for the American Cancer Society (ACS) in April — one at Central Park and one at John Carroll High School.

The Relay for Life of Homewood will be held at Central Park on Friday, April 22, from 4-11 p.m. The Relay for Life of John Carroll will be Friday, April 15, from 4 p.m.-12 a.m., at John Carroll Catholic High School.

At ACS Relays, the members of teams take turns running or walking laps to raise money for cancer research and support programs. There are also other activities, including a free dinner for survivors, the Survivors Lap and the Luminaria Ceremony, in which candles are lit to remember past cancer patients and support current patients.

The events in Homewood will feature additional entertainment, according to Christina Zabala of the ACS. Among those appearing at Central Park will be the Homewood MIddle School Patriot Singers show choir and the Homewood High School (HHS) cheerleading squad, as well as the school’s Spangles dance team and Trendsetters jazz band. 

About 10 teams from HHS will participate in the Relay, as well as all of the Samford University fraternities and sororities, according to Zabala.

Organizers seek to raise $55,000 this year, after raising $50,000 in 2015, Zabala said.

The Relay at John Carroll — with a fundraising goal of $20,000 — has a music festival theme this year and will be called “Relay Fest,” according to Zabala, who said the student organizers will book local bands, including some featuring students. The event will also feature a crawfish boil.

Central Park is located at 1632 Oxmoor Road. To sign up, go to relayforlife.org/homewoodal.

John Carroll Catholic High School is located at 300 Lakeshore Parkway. To sign up for the relay, go to relayforlife.org/johncarroll.