Relay For Life: Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back

American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of Yorktown celebrated its 5th birthday when more than 2,500 people gathered to celebrate survivors, remember those lost to the disease, and fight back against cancer at the John DeVito Track in Yorktown, June 11-12.

Relay For Life is a fundraising event, and a worldwide movement to end cancer. There were 150 survivors and 109 registered teams to walk, with a total of 1,100 registered participants, and more than 2,500 people who took part in the activities.

Cancer survivor Diana Evangelista cut the ribbon that marked the beginning of the survivors' lap and the relay.

She and her son Luke, now 16 months old, were diagnosed with choriocarcinoma cancer on February 22, 209 after cancer traveled through the placenta during pregnancy and affected both. Luke, was 4 weeks old at the time and he is the sixth baby to ever survive.

The mother was treated at the Westchester Medical Center, and Luke was treated at the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.

"They really saved Luke's life," Evangelista said. "They had to find a treatment and figure out how to treat a six-pound baby. I want people to know how lucky we are to have a hospital so close with such outstanding medical help for children."

Both mother and son went into remission and as of October 14, 2009 they are cancer free.

"I'm so thankful," said husband and father Matt Evangelista.

 "I can't help but to think about the families fighting tonight," Diana Evangelista said.

Eric DiBartolo lead the survivors' lap as he was holding up a Remember flag in honor of his brother Frank who died of esophageal cancer in 2007, a year and 13 days after his diagnosis.

"My life completely changed," DiBartolo said. "We miss him every day. It never gets easy."

He describes his brother as a fighter.

"He was my hero," he said.

DiBartolo has been involved with Relay For Life since 2007 and said there was nothing in the world he wouldn't do for it.

Last year at Relay For Life, Kathy Walsh walked around the track with her brother Tommy O'Keefe after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. But this year, his family and friends walked for him.

Lakeland High School students, who established Carolyn's Crew, came together to honor their math teacher, Carolyn Conroy who died of cancer last year. Students carried "Chains of Hope" made out of over 400 paper ribbons tied together that each student had written his or her name on.

"It was a great loss," student Sebastian Tobon said.

Joined by her three daughters was Justine Rusinao. She is a two-time cancer survivor. In 2001 she was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer, and in 2009 she was diagnosed with uterus cancer. She is now cancer free.

"This community really holds together," daughter Dianne Triano said.

Rusiano, was given a glow stick by the American Caner Society to place on a birthday cake, symbolizing every year she has been cancer free.

"Relay For Life is a great opportunity to come together and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays," said Danielle Werner, event chair for Relay For Life of Yorktown.

During the Luminaria Ceremony, white paper bags, decorated in the memory or honor of someone who died of cancer, got lit and glowed all night.

"It's very moving, very emotional," said Monica Garrigan, event manager for the American Cancer Society, "It's a time to reflect on the people we've lost and honor survivors."