Students and community members recently banded together for a worthy cause on the field of Northport High School for their annual Relay For Life event. Coordinated by Kris Kalinowski, Elena Ferriolo Christina Kerensky and Marisa Jensen, the event raised over $15,000 for the American Cancer Society. Over the past seven years, the Elwood community has raised well over $250,000 in the search for a cure.

This year, the Elwood community had two students suffering from cancer. In light of this, the district decided to combine their efforts with the Northport-East Northport School District to help fight for a cure against cancer.

Elwood's Relay For Life is a student based event in addition to the participation of community members. Additionally, students from Harley Avenue Primary School and James H. Boyd Intermediate School decorated Luminaria Bags which were placed around the Northport High School track around the football field. The students decorated over 500 bags in memory of, in honor of and celebrating those touched by cancer.

The Knights for Hope at the Elwood Middle School sold Lap Beads for those who wanted to keep track of their laps with beads and donated everything to Relay For Life. Each bead represented the color of a particular type of cancer. The Elwood-John H. Glenn High School students also had a Volleyball-a-thon this past March, which a portion of their proceeds went to Relay for Life.

Elwood’s own Mr. Solomon Buchman sang the traditional song entitled "You Raise Me Up." Mr. Buchman has performed this song at every one of the district’s Relay For Life events and this year was no different.

Thank you to all who made the event such a success!