Cancer survivors walk the track at the Relay for Life event Saturday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

BELPRE — Cancer survivors, caregivers, families and supporters gathered Saturday evening at Civitan Park in Belpre for Relay for Life, an American Cancer Society fundraiser held to celebrate survivors, remember those lost to cancer and raise money for research and patient support programs.

Rhonda Blair said Relay for Life has changed over the years, but its purpose remains the same.

“It’s still the core of celebrating the survivors,” Blair said. “It’s a nice place for them to get together.”

Blair said the event is not a race, though it began with participants walking around a track. She said it remains a way to “celebrate, remember and fight back.”

She said Relay for Life also gives caregivers a chance to feel recognized.

From left, Micki George, Vera Greenwalt and Alfonso Valdez share a laugh at the Relay for Life at Civitan Park in Belpre Saturday evening. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

“It’s nice for the caregivers too,” Blair said. “It’s a place that they can come and kind of feel celebrated too, because I feel like they get forgotten about.”

Money raised through Relay for Life supports the American Cancer Society, including research and programs such as Hope Lodge and Road to Recovery, which help cancer patients and caregivers with lodging and transportation to treatment, Blair said.

Sophie Boothby, a senior at Warren High School, served as this year’s grand marshal and spoke about her experience as a cancer survivor. Boothby said her cancer journey began when she was 16 and was diagnosed with an adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma, a brain tumor.

“I was a really active kid,” Boothby said. “I’m a cheerleader, I dance, I’m in a bunch of clubs at school, and my whole life was put to a stop.”

Boothby said she had a craniotomy two days after learning about the tumor. She said a strong support system and a positive attitude helped her through the experience.

Sophie Boothby shares her cancer journey during the Relay for Life at Civitan Park Saturday evening. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

“I think you can’t control what happens to you, but you can control the way that you react to it,” Boothby said.

Boothby said she has attended Relay for Life since she was about 5 years old, but now sees it differently as a survivor.

“Now that I’m on the survivor side of it, I definitely see this not as just something fun to go to … but something that is so much bigger than that,” Boothby said.

Micki George also attended the event to raise money for the American Cancer Society and awareness about Lynch syndrome, a hereditary genetic condition that can increase a person’s risk for certain cancers.

“My family actually has experienced it, and I just like to get the word out there,” George said.

Dr. Rajendra Bhati discusses his experience with treating cancer patients in the Mid-Ohio Valley at the Relay for Life Saturday (Photo by Gwen Sour)

George, a cancer survivor, said she was diagnosed in 2010 and was cancer-free after surgery.

“It was not as prolonged as some survivors experience, so I feel grateful for that,” George said.

Dr. Rajendra Bhati, a surgical oncologist at Marietta Memorial Hospital’s Belpre Campus, also spoke during the ceremony. He said advances in immunotherapy, targeted therapy, early detection and supportive care have helped improve survival rates, but statistics do not tell the whole story.

“Behind every percentage point is a person, a child who gets to grow up, a grandparent who gets to see another holiday, a family that stays whole a little bit longer,” Bhati said.

The evening included food trucks, face painting, balloon animals, an auction, a dunk tank and live entertainment. Participating teams included Marietta Memorial Hospital and Belpre Cancer Center, Bridget and Aces Brigade, Cancer Crush, Kennedy Strong, Live Like Lisa, Miller Family and Friends, Bronze Angels and Sorella De Lotta.

Rhonda Blair welcomes attendees to the Relay for Life event hosted at Civitan Park in Belpre. (Photo by Gwen Sour)