American Cancer Society to "Paint The Town Purple"

Cape Girardeau, MO -- May15, 2013 -- The American Cancer Society will "Paint the Town Purple" in celebration of its annual Relay For Life event. Beginning this month Relay For Life volunteers will be contacting area groups, churches, and businesses to encourage community members to form teams for the Relay For Life of Cape Girardeau County. This is the community's opportunity to join the American Cancer Society's signature fundraising event.

Businesses and residents can show their support in the fight against cancer by ordering a purple bow to place on their property. The bows are available for a suggested donation of $5 and all proceeds will benefit the work of the American Cancer Society to save lives from cancer by helping people stay well and get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back. Additionally, businesses are asked to decorate their offices in purple, advertise Relay on marques, and display their support through "painting" the town purple.

This year's Relay For Life of Cape Girardeau County will be held at Arena Park on Friday, June 14th at 6pm. Relay brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups - people from all walks of life - all aimed at celebrating the lives of those who have had cancer, remembering those lost, and fighting back against the disease. Relay For Life events are held with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track or pathway at all times throughout the evening. Teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their Relay.

For more information on Relay For Life or to order your purple bow, please contact Kelli Schenimann at 573.334.9352 or kelli.schenimann@cancer.org.

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; by helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation's largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.