Residents, business owners and high school students from Kennedy, Mepham and Calhoun came out last week to the Merrick Library to show their support and community activism for the Bellmore-Merrick Relay for Life, a yearly event to raise funds and awareness for cancer research.

The event, which is sponsored by the American Cancer Society, will be held on Saturday, May 22 from 5 to 11 p.m. at the Merrick Road Town Park and Golf Course. Paul Gruol, director of special events from the ACS, hosted the meeting and said it was all about honoring cancer survivors. He said that the Relay for Life event involves several teams that walk or run for the cure.

"I got involved 10 years ago with the American Cancer Society and now I am also doing this in my wife's memory," Gruol said as he held up a purple "Warrior for Hope" t-shirt. "She passed away two years ago from cancer. We have a lot of volunteers that help with raising funds and forming teams for this event. Some have lost loved ones and some are cancer survivors."

Merrick resident Julie Teplitz, a 15-year-old teen started a Facebook page and sent out more than 600 e-mails. More than 100 people already responded that they would donate and/or attend the event.

Julie's friends told her to get involved and she said that she knows many people who are battling cancer. Her mother, Hildy, who is also involved, praised Julie by  saying if it was not for her daughter's "constant nagging to get involved, she would not be here."

"When I was growing up I went to private schools and I was always told to give back, so I told my mom and now we are both involved," the younger Teplitz said. "We go around to businesses together and try to raise funds for Relay for Life and we try to get more people involved to run or walk in the event."

Relay for Life started in 1985 and now more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States and with communities in 20 other countries are involved to save lives from cancer.

Last year, The Lemon Tree in North Bellmore offered to dye a section of participants hair and donated portions of their sales to the cause.

According to Gruol, they need to get more people involved in the event and just in general to support finding breakthroughs and one day a cure for cancer.

"We have seven teams and raised over $750 and we hope to raise a lot more," Gruol said. "The American Cancer Society represents that those lost to cancer will not be forgotten and that one day cancer will be eliminated."

For more information, visit the Bellmore-Merrick Relay for Life Web site or call Paul Gruol of the American Cancer Society at 921-6082, ext. 3013.