Each year, the Pascack Valley Relay For Life, a signature event of the American Cancer Society (ACS), brings together residents, schools, businesses and community organizations from across the Pascack Valley. The annual event celebrates and supports cancer survivors and their families while honoring those who have lost their lives to the disease. The event also raises funds for advocacy, patient support and research to help prevent, treat and ultimately cure cancer.
This spring, the relay was held April 24, 2026, at Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus. The theme, "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast Cancer," was inspired by the television show "Survivor."
"Ideally, we try to have the event at a different school each year with as many people or towns represented as possible," says Cori Mastropolo, a senior development manager with ACS.
Fundraising and organizing for the event continue throughout the year as organizers connect with schools, individuals, teams and businesses through social media and community outreach.
"On the website, you can sign up either as an individual or a team, like the girls soccer team or the Class of 2026," Mastropolo explains. "During the event, there's at least one member from every team that's signed up walking around the track to symbolize that cancer never stops."
The Pascack Valley Relay For Life begins at 5 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. During those five hours, participants take part in a series of activities, ceremonies and laps around the track. Registration begins at 5 p.m., followed by time for teams to get settled and set up their fundraising areas. Survivors are escorted to a dedicated tent, where they can socialize and enjoy a recognition dinner together.
An opening ceremony follows, during which survivors are honored with a medal and sash before taking part in the Survivor Lap. Throughout the evening, participants can join themed laps and activities designed to engage attendees while raising awareness and support for the cause.
Another signature tradition of the Pascack Valley Relay For Life is the Luminaria ceremony, which features personalized paper bags dedicated to individuals affected by cancer. During the ceremony, the bags, illuminated by battery-operated candles, line the track and cast a warm glow after the athletic field lights are turned off.
Following the ceremony, either a survivor or caregiver shares their story. Then comes the Glow Stick Ceremony, during which attendees crack glow sticks in honor or memory of loved ones affected by cancer.
"At the end of the night you see all of the glow sticks lit up," Mastropolo says. "The scene is like a statement that unifies us to say that we're a community and we've all been touched in some capacity by cancer."
Afterward, participants take several silent laps around the track.
"The luminarias around the track are lit up for loved ones," Mastropolo says. "It's a time of reflection to remember why you're there and why you want to make a difference."
While the event concludes at the end of the evening, planning for next year's relay begins almost immediately.
Elaine and Clara: A Journey of Friendship
Park Ridge residents Elaine Santiago and her best friend, Clara Pinto-Eaton, are both breast cancer survivors who have participated in the Pascack Valley Relay For Life for many years.
Diagnosed with breast cancer on Sept. 10, 2008, Santiago remembers exactly where she was when she received the news.
"I was actually at work at my desk and had called to follow up with my doctor's office when a nurse practitioner told me on the phone that I had cancer," Santiago recalls. "It was a total shock because I considered myself healthy."
Nearly in tears, she shared the news with a friend at work and then informed her boss, who provided the name of a surgeon. Several others she spoke with recommended the same physician.
Santiago chose to undergo a lumpectomy followed by preventive chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
By Oct. 22, 2008, she was cancer-free.
When her employer at the time, KPMG in Montvale, sought cancer survivors to participate in the event's Survivor Lap, Santiago joined the company's "Hope Blooms" team. She has remained involved ever since, even after leaving the company.
"Several years ago, I pulled Clara in, so she's on our team as well," she says.
Pinto-Eaton, whose son is the same age as Santiago's, received her breast cancer diagnosis in February 2010.
She was driving when she received the call.
"I pulled my car off the road and was told, 'You have breast cancer. You have to come to the hospital to see the options,'" she says.
The treatment initially offered to her was a double mastectomy.
"So I decided to go for a second opinion at Sloan Kettering," she says.
Pinto-Eaton ultimately chose a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy.
In 2015, she was declared cancer-free.
The two women met while their children attended kindergarten together in Park Ridge. Their shared experiences with breast cancer created an immediate bond. They later discovered they had been treated by the same physician.
Both women view the Pascack Valley Relay For Life as an event that provides vital support to individuals and families navigating a cancer diagnosis. For them, the relay is also an opportunity to celebrate survivorship and express gratitude for each year they have been given.
"I'm just happy to be here," Santiago says.
"We're survivors, so you have even more appreciation for every day and every year that you're here," Pinto-Eaton adds.
To learn more about the Pascack Valley Relay For Life, volunteer or donate, visit relayforlife.org/PascackValleyNJ or call 800-227-2345. Follow Relay For Life of Pascack Valley on Instagram at @relayforlifeofpascackvalley.
"At the end of the night you see all of the glow sticks lit up, the scene is like a statement that unifies us to say that we're a community and we've all been touched in some capacity by cancer." - Cori Mastropolo
"We're survivors, so you have even more appreciation for every day and every year that you're here" - Clara Pinto-Eaton