Community Corner
West Islip Relay For Life Raises $72K
Hundreds turned out for the inaugural event at West Islip High School.
The first-ever West Islip Relay For Life proved to be a success, with the overnight fundraiser garnering more than $72,000 in donations for the American Cancer Society.
"[It] was a complete success," said Jake Ulrich, a recent West Islip graduate who helped coordinate the relay along with his father, Board of Ed Trustee Bob Ulrich. "The event ran smoothly without any major mishaps, which is an accomplishment for a first time relay.
Participants quickly surpased their fundraising goal of $25,000 and by the end of the event a total of $72,585 was raised.
Hundreds of community members packed the fields at West Islip High School to support those taking part in the event.
"We had close to 500 people come down to support our cause at the beginning of the night and many people were able to stay overnight until 6 a.m.," said Ulrich.
Organizers are already planning for next year's event. The 2014 West Islip Relay For Life website is expected to launch in September.
If you couldn't make it to the event, don't worry. Donations to West Islip Relay For Life are still being accepted through August 31.
Did you attend Relay For Life? Send your photos to kaitlyn.piccoli@patch.com and we'll feature them in a gallery.
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