The first downtown San Diego Relay for Life, a signature event of the American Cancer Society was held Aug. 27-28 at Morley Field. The Relay For Life took place in more than 4,000 communities across the country and honored cancer survivors, those who have lost the battle, as well as educated the community on early detection and prevention of cancer.

Front Runners & Walkers San Diego was among 14 teams participating in this 24-hour relay. The Front Runners team included four cancer survivors, two Front Runners who lost their spouses to cancer and 25 other individuals, for a grand total of 31 team members. Their team was one of the largest in attendance, and they won the Most Spirited Team award at the Relay for Life’s closing ceremony.

This year’s Relay for Life raised over $40,000 for cancer research. While the final numbers are still being tallied, the Front Runners team raised nearly $2,000.

The Front Runners’ Relay for Life team was led by Captain John Brannelly and honorary captain Des Kelly. Top team awards went to Brannelly and Ed Karas, while Cathy Hemphill and Carlos Flores-Mack were selected as MVPs.

“The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life allows people the opportunity to demonstrate their support of cancer survivors and victims in a physical way,” said Brannelly. “It brings people together, on teams and as a community, to share their passion for helping fight cancer with friends and family.”

One Front Runner relay team member had a prostate cancer surgery planned for the Monday after the relay. “It was comforting for him to talk with the three other cancer survivors on the team and learn how they battled the disease,” Brannelly said.

Some Front Runners walked, some jogged and some ran the course at Morley Field for the entire 24 hours. A few Front Runners ran for three hours straight in the middle of the night.

“Personally, the relay allowed me time to remember my family and friends who have died of cancer, including my grandfather, two uncles, aunt and three close friends,” said Brannelly.

Front Runners participating in the Relay for Life included: Al Mazur, Alexis DeBram Bill Crawford, Brian Cooney, Carlos Flores-Mack, Carlos Malamud, Carol Pierce, PhD, Cathy Hemphill, David Ivanko, David Lang, Debbie Chaddock, Des Kell,y Ed Karas, Eric Cantrell, Eurica Otto, Felicia Romero, Garry Demarest, Grant Spicer, Hector Hinojosa, Heidi Norberg, Jane Venghaus, John Brannelly, Kristin Reid, Lonnie Brunini, Louise Ludico, Miguel Mata, Paula ‘PJ’ Sevier, Ron Gaither, Sheryl Howard and Terry Trevino.