We are proud to announce that Relay For Life of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, has been named the 2025 Nationwide Event of the Year as part of the Pat Flynn Spirit of Relay Awards. This recognition celebrates extraordinary events that exemplify the heart, mission, and grassroots power of Relay For Life.
For more than 24 years, Relay For Life of St. Croix has served as a powerful beacon of hope, unity, and resilience for the Virgin Islands community. This year, St. Croix stood out for its exceptional execution of Relay For Life’s four signature elements:
- Celebration of Survivors: More than 300 survivors were honored during a moving Survivors Lap, carrying lit torches, and LED wands in a powerful symbol of strength and perseverance. Survivors were treated to a special experience, including formal seating and a four-course dinner.
- Celebration of Caregivers: Caregivers were recognized throughout the event as essential partners in the cancer journey, honored alongside survivors and families.
- Meaningful Luminaria Ceremony: More than 2,500 hand-decorated luminaria bags lined the track during a powerful ceremony that included the Empty Table tradition, moments of reflection, and a glow stick tribute.
- Opportunity to Fight Back: Fundraising remains central to the St. Croix Relay experience, with all participants contributing and the event successfully meeting its ambitious $250,000 goal through year-round community engagement.
Cultural pride shines throughout the night, with steel drum bands, local dancers, spoken word artists, and musicians filling the track with authentic Virgin Islands energy.
At the heart of the event stands the dedicated volunteer leadership team known as “The Fab 5”—Urylee Burke, Yvonne Webster-Pryce, Luz Rodriguez, Martha Mills, and Aymee Santana—whose decades of service, compassion, and unwavering commitment embody the true spirit of Relay For Life. Their leadership has sustained this event through hurricanes, limited medical infrastructure, and economic challenges, proving that hope thrives even in the most difficult conditions.
Becky VanLoon, National Relay For Life Volunteer Lead, praised the team’s extraordinary impact:
“Relay For Life of St. Croix exemplifies the power of volunteer leadership. Through challenges and change, this team has remained committed to the mission and to each other. Their passion and perseverance have created an event that truly embodies the spirit of Relay For Life.”
The impact of Relay For Life of St. Croix extends far beyond a single weekend. Year-round fundraising efforts culminate in island-wide engagement, including a 50-vehicle motorcade featuring fire trucks, EMS, and police escorts that travels across the island to raise awareness and rally the community. This collective visibility has even helped inspire the return of Relay For Life to St. Thomas in 2026, after nearly a decade away.
As the community prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary, Relay For Life of St. Croix stands as a national model of what it means to be volunteer-powered, community-driven, and mission-focused. In the face of adversity, this event continues to unite an entire territory around hope, healing, and the belief that together, we can end cancer as we know it.
To view all 2025 Pat Flynn Spirit of Relay Award winners, visit RelayForLife.org/2025awards.