STEP BY STEP: Jackson hosts the largest Relay for Life in the state of Michigan

• Video shows the start of the 22-hour Jackson County Relay for Life.
• Jackson hosts the largest Relay for Life in the state of Michigan, raising over $300,000 in 2023, according to event facilitators.
• The event continues through August 3, and includes the walk, food trucks, and games.

Cancer . A word that hits home for a lot of our neighbors. One neighbor, Brett Swaenepoel, shares, "I lost my mom and my brother a couple years ago to cancer. Most people on this team (Team Eaton) have lost family members."

This weekend, dozens of teams will head to Cascades Park to honor those who have been touched by cancer and to fight back. Katie Jones, Senior Development Manager at the American Cancer Society, explains, "We fight back through fundraising, raising awareness, (and) being here, walking a track for 22 hours-straight."

One of those teams is Team Eaton, which Swaenepoel is a member of. "We've actually lost a lot of coworkers. We lost one about two days ago to cancer. He just passed. We lost another one a couple months ago we were actually really close with," he says. Team Eaton is not alone. According to Jones, Jackson hosts the largest Relay for Life in the state of Michigan.

"It's a family," says Jones. "Some teams have been relaying here since the beginning." This year, the American Cancer Society's goal is to raise $300,000 in Jackson County. Jones says they are 75% of the way to meeting their goal. Enjoying the festival, playing games, and raffles are just a few ways give back, and of course, walking laps.

"Usually, every year, I'm here till about 2 to 3 AM," says Swaenepoel. "I'll be here for the long haul, getting as many laps in as I can." To teams like Eaton's, it's just one way for them to remember. "We really just do this for them and the people we've lost," says Swaenepoel. The Relay for Life continues through 2pm on August 3.

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