The Relay For Life Key Messaging resource is designed to help speak about Relay For Life and the impact it has had on the mission of the American Cancer Society. The resource includes key mission and impact data to showcase how contributions make a tangible difference.
Relay For Life 2027 Messaging & Impact Guide
A quick-reference resource for communicating the impact of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life® movement
Relay For Life Powers the Mission
The American Cancer Society is leading the fight to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.
Every day, the American Cancer Society funds groundbreaking research, supports patients and caregivers, advocates for healthier communities, and helps more people prevent and detect cancer earlier.
American Cancer Society Relay For Life® is one of the most meaningful ways communities come together to make all of this work possible.
Every lap walked, every fundraiser shared, every dollar raised, and every volunteer who shows up helps fuel life-changing impact.
We Celebrate survivors.
We Remember loved ones.
We Fight Back against cancer.
And together, we Walk On.
Why Relay Still Matters
Nearly everyone knows someone whose life has been impacted by cancer. This year alone, more than 2.1 million people in the US will hear the words “You have cancer.” More than 626,000 people will lose their lives to the disease. That’s why Relay For Life continues to matter.
Every Relay event creates hope. Every fundraiser helps fund progress. Every participant becomes part of something much bigger than a single fundraising event.
When talking about Relay For Life, remember these three things:
Lead with the mission.
Start with the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving mission and the impact we’re making together.
Connect to the impact.
Every participant, volunteer, donor, and fundraiser helps advance lifesaving research, patient support, advocacy, and prevention.
Extend an invitation.
Invite someone to participate in Relay For Life by joining a team, donating, volunteering, or attending an event.
30-second Conversation Starter
The American Cancer Society is leading the fight to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. American Cancer Society Relay For Life events bring our community together to celebrate survivors, remember loved ones, and fight back against cancer. Every dollar raised helps fund lifesaving research, support patients and caregivers, advocate for healthier communities, and help more people prevent and detect cancer earlier. We’d love for you to join us.
Your Impact is Real
Every dollar raised through American Cancer Society Relay For Life events helps:
🚗 Increase access to care: The American Cancer Society helps everyone access the care they need from 24/7 support, providing transportation and free lodging for patients receiving treatment.
🔬 Research: The American Cancer Society has contributed to almost every major cancer research breakthrough over the last 110 years.
📣 Advocacy: Cancer doesn’t discriminate, and neither does the American Cancer Society. They fight for policies that improve cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship for every family in every community.
☎️ Connection: The American Cancer Society champions every person facing cancer with personalized guidance and a caring community found through their 24/7 cancer helpline.
❤️ Prevention and detection: When caught early, the five-year survival rate for many cancers is over 90%, as this is when treatment is often more successful.
Share the Impact
Supporters like to know where their money goes and how they are helping to make an impact. The facts below are great to include in conversations, emails, fundraising pages, and social media posts.
- More than 2.1 million people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer this year.
- 18.6 million cancer survivors are living in the United States today.
- The American Cancer Society touched 140 million lives in 2025 through research, patient support, prevention, and advocacy.
- More than 950,000 free rides and lodging stays help patients receive the treatment they need each year.
- The American Cancer Society has invested more than $5.7 billion in cancer research since 1946 and currently supports 894 active research grants across 213 institutions nationwide.
- Cancer death rates have fallen 34% since 1991, helping save an estimated 4.8 million lives.
Every Relay participant helps make this work possible.
Ready-to-Use Message Examples
Invite Someone to Participate
I’d love for you to join me in supporting the American Cancer Society Relay For Life movement. Together, we celebrate survivors, remember loved ones, and help fund the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving mission. Whether you participate, volunteer, or donate, you can make a difference.
Ask for a Donation
I’m raising funds through Relay For Life to support the American Cancer Society’s vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. Every donation helps fund research, support patients and caregivers, advocate for healthier communities, and help more people prevent and detect cancer earlier. Thank you for your support.
Thank a Donor
Thank you for supporting my American Cancer Society Relay For Life fundraiser. Your generosity is helping fund groundbreaking research, provide patient support, and bring hope to everyone affected by cancer.
Start with Your Story
People often connect with personal stories. Share why participating in American Cancer Society Relay For Life is meaningful to you.
- I participate because …
- I’m honoring …
- I’m remembering …
- I want to help create a world where no one has to face cancer alone.
Quick Facts
Need a compelling statistic? Start here.
- 2.1 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year.
- 626,000+ people are expected to die from cancer this year.
- 18.6 million cancer survivors are living in the United States.
- 140 million lives were touched by the American Cancer Society’s work in 2025.
*Statistics reflected in this guide are based on American Cancer Society Vital Statistics (March 2026) and Cancer Facts & Figures 2026.
Cancer death rates continue to decline, but cancer remains a leading cause of death – and disparities in outcomes persist. American Cancer Society Relay For Life donors help ensure progress reaches every community, every family, and every life touched by cancer.
For more information, answers, and support,
visit cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345.