The Relay for Life Opening Ceremony & Survivor Lap in Fall River, Massachusetts, marked its 27th year on June 21, 2025. Chris Palmer, from the event leadership team, introduced Judy Leance, who has been involved with the Relay for 27 years. Leance welcomed returning and new teams, volunteers, walkers, visitors, and especially the cancer survivors, noting the event has raised millions for cancer research over the years. She also shared a personal reflection on her late mother, a long-time participant, emphasizing that "relay goes on." The ceremony featured a performance of the national anthem by Abby, accompanied by her friend Samantha, who carried a memory bear made from Abby's great-grandmother's clothing. Mayor Paul Coogan of Fall River addressed the attendees, expressing his wholehearted support for the annual event and commending the city's efforts in fighting cancer and honoring survivors. Another speaker, likely Judy Leance, thanked the committee, volunteers, and team captains, and spoke about the American Cancer Society's mission, advocating for preventive testing. She shared inspiring sentiments from survivors about walking the track, describing them as "heroes in purple" and "warriors." The event concluded with the emotional survivor lap.
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Hi, my name is Chris Palmer and I am part of the event leadership team. Um, and I just like to introduce Judy Leance who's been with the relay for 27 years.
0:19Good afternoon everybody. We have a beautiful, wonderful day. I know a lot of you have done this year after year.
0:24We've walked through wind, rain, just about everything. So, we're blessed today to have a beautiful day. So, I first want to welcome all the returning teams, the new teams, the volunteers, the many walkers and visitors, but most of all, I want to welcome all the wonderful survivors. You know, it's just so great to see all of you here again today. And round of applause to all of you.
0:52So, as Chris said, this is my 27th year when um Relay first came to Far River. A friend of mine mentioned, you know, we're going to start a relay up. Why don't you come? There was only three of us that year. My mom, myself, and my daughter, and we walked all night, and we were hooked. So, the next year, I ended up taking chair of the event, and Relay grew. And we've been doing this
1:15now for 27 years, and it's been a wonderful experience. And I can say that over the years, thanks to all of you, we have raised way in the millions from the far greater far relay for life. So that's just outstanding.
1:31Um we've made a huge difference in cancer research. Um I know a lot of you who have had been cancer survivors for a long time. It's come a long way in these 27 years. Thanks to all the people who've donated and and helped out our relay. Um my mom has been a big participant in this relay year after year. I know a lot of you know her. She passed this year 4 months ago. So we're
2:00doing this anyway because she'd say relay goes on. That was that was her. No matter what didn't matter the weather, we keep walking. So we will walk on and um continue to make a difference.
2:14And um I guess right now I'm going to call up um my mom's great granddaughter Abby. She's going to sing the national anthem for us this year and she did bring her friend with her for moral support. So she's going to come up with her and um she's carrying my mom's memory bear. Every one of the grandchildren children great grandchildren and great great grandchildren have memory bears from my
2:40mom's clothing. So, she's holding on to her memory band today and she's going to sing. You got this, Abby.
2:53Stand there. And then let's go down. Right.
2:58Right in front of the mic. Okay.
3:01Ready?
3:04Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we held at the twilight last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous spite.
3:27For the ramp parts we watch were so gallently streaming.
3:35And the rockets red glare. The bones bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
3:51Oh, say does that star spangle ber yet for the land of the free and the home of the brave
4:22Great job, Abigail and Samantha.
4:26Okay, this microphone's way too high. I just lost three inches off my height.
4:32All right, so now I'd like to bring to the stage um Mayor Paul Coogan, who would like to who joined us today. He'd like to say something.
4:50That mic is turn. Oh, now it's too low for you. Yeah, no kidding. I'm sorry. I had to adjust it on her. Um, this is one of the great events that goes on annually in the city of Fall River. I don't know that I've missed many of them. I support this event wholeheartedly. I'm at Whites. I'm here.
5:07You're here. It's so great to see everybody come out and get some nice weather for once cuz I do remember the days when it wasn't so good. But this is a great cause. Fall River does a great job of pitching in for all kinds of events that support people and especially fighting cancer and honoring the survivors. So I welcome everybody to Bishop Connley today. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy
5:29schedules to support this noble cause and thanks for being here. Thank you very much.
5:35Thank you.
5:41Okay, I'm going to make this brief because it's warm and we want to move on. Um, so I did not prepare a speech.
5:49Um, usually there's a speech prepared and we read it and it's and so my husband said to me just just speak from your heart. So I'm going to speak from my heart. So, um first of all, I'd like to thank um all the committee, the volunteers, the teams, the team captains, um for all you do um do a wonderful job and um it's we're just we're just blessed to have you all here. Um secondly,
6:20I'm because I am a volunteer for the American Cancer Society. So we do these events every year to um for for the survivors to honor the survivors to remember the the those who passed away to um for can also for cancer awareness to let people know what's available uh at the American Cancer Society. We do our mission and advocacy. My advocacy to you is um I really would like to retire.
6:48So half of my day I spend trying to call people to go for their preventive testing. So, please go for your preventive testing so I can retire. Um, really it will help you. Um, so next, um, I'm going to end my speech by, um, I really was trying to think of something to say and I really couldn't put my finger on it. So, I took a stroll into the survivor reception and I sat at a
7:17few tables and I I asked some survivors how it felt when they walked around the track. And their answers were inspired, grateful, I feel good, I'm thankful, I'm emotionally happy, I'm blessed.
7:41I've never seen a group of people with such big smiles on their faces and all they've been through. They're an inspiration to me and I applaud you and you're our heroes in purple. You're our warriors.
7:56So now it's time for you to take your lap.
8:05We're not rattled cuz we shattered all of this before.
8:11Steadier than steel cuz we're ready with a shield inside.
8:18Back on the saddle cuz we've gathered all our strength for more.
8:24And we won't bow. We won't break. No, we're not afraid to do whatever it takes. We'll never bow. We'll never break. Cuz we are warriors. We'll fight for our lives like soldiers all through the night. And we won't give up. We will survive. We are warriors and we're stronger. That's why we're alive. We will conquer time after time.
8:57We'll never falter. We will survive. We are warriors.