Courtesy photo Planning for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life are (from left): first row –– Juanita McLucas, Marilyn Templon, Sharon Okeiff Fusco (ACS staff), Debbie Osborn (co-chairperson), Connie McKnight and Don Boland; second row –– Don Galice, Cathy Horvers, Liz Curfman, Susan Boland (co-chairperson) and Kathy Kelley. Absent from the photo are Catherine Igou, Valerie Bates, Sandy Long, Dan Weaver, Erin Weaver, Autum McLucas and Kris Young.

The 31st annual Relay For Life of Blair County will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at Mansion Park, Altoona.

This year’s Relay For Life event will be an all-day Saturday event, bringing the community together to honor survivors and remember loved ones.

Funds raised by participating teams throughout the year help provide services that patients and caregivers rely on every day through the American Cancer Society.

The 2026 theme for the Relay For Life of Blair County is “Give Cancer the Boot!”

This year’s ambassador is Joanne Sassano of Altoona, a two-time breast cancer survivor who retired from UPMC Altoona in April 2025 with 43¢ years of service.

A variety of scheduled events, games and activities will take place throughout the day.

A survivor dinner, donated by Olive Garden, will be available under the large pavilion at Mansion Park on Saturday evening.

New this year is the Garden of Hope display, which will be featured at Altoona Bible Church from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 23. Then it will move to Wehnwood United Methodist Church from June 5 to June 11; and then be on display at Mansion Park from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 13.

Special thanks to sponsors: Element Solutions Foundation/MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Bavarian Aid Society, Penn Highlands Healthcare, Stuckey Subaru, Seven Mountains Media, Wehnwood United Methodist Church, ARC Federal Credit Union, Altoona Area School District, Ansley RV, 5 Star Powersports, Fiore True Value Hardware and the Unter Uns Musical Society.

For more information, visit acsevents.org or visit Relay For Life of Blair County on Facebook or call Sharon O’Keiff-Fusco at 814-581-4151.