The student-organized Hope College chapter of Colleges Against Cancer will sponsor its 13th annual Relay For Life event from 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, until 7 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Dow Center.

The Relay For Life is part of a national fund-raising initiative for the American Cancer Society.  The non-competitive event invites members of the Hope College community to form teams and then walk the Dow Center’s track overnight to raise funds for research, education, advocacy and service in the fight against cancer.

The relay will begin with an opening ceremony at 7 p.m. Cancer survivors and caregivers will be invited to participate in laps at 7:30 p.m.

Awareness events focused on different types of cancer have been scheduled across the 12-hour relay.  In addition to the opening, the event will include a 10 p.m. luminaria ceremony honoring those who have lost their lives to cancer and those who are still battling cancer, a 1 a.m. ceremony emphasizing fighting back against cancer, and a 6:30 a.m. closing ceremony.

Hundreds of students participate in the college’s Relay For Life annually, with more than 500 signed up this year.  The 31 teams that have registered include a variety of student organizations, as well as groups representing academic programs, residence halls and others who have banded together specifically on behalf of the event.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life nationwide awards and recognition program recently recognized Hope’s 2014 Relay For Life program with three awards.  The program itself received the Nationwide Per Capita Award and the Lakeshore Division Heart of Relay Award for Survivor Engagement, and the college’s Alcor Chapter of the Mortar Board honorary society received the Team of Excellence Award for raising more than $15,000.

The Dow Center is located at 168 E. 13th St., on 13th Street at Columbia Avenue.