The American Cancer Society is calling all dogs and their humans to join the seventh annual Bark for Life Hilo, an event to raise funds and awareness for the fight against cancer, on Saturday morning at Lili‘uokalani Gardens.
Registration starts at 8 a.m. and activities begin at 8:30. The entry fee is $25 per dog or $40 for two dogs, with all proceeds going toward the American Cancer Society.
Bark For Life offers canines an opportunity to join with their humans to help the American Cancer Society save lives.
There will be group dog walks, contests for largest dog, smallest dog, best trick, best costume and look-alike, canine demonstrations from the Hawaii Police and Fire departments, dog agility tips and portraits with your pooch.
Bark For Life is a fur-friendly companion event to the 25th Hilo Relay For Life, scheduled for July 15 at Francis Wong Stadium. Last year, 1,052 participants on 97 teams raised $203,000.
Every year, the American Cancer Society funds research, prevention, education, detection, treatment and more than $348 million in support services to cancer patients nationwide.
For Hawaii Island cancer patients, support services include access to patient navigators to guide patients through the health care system, a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week resource telephone number, airfare assistance, accommodations at Hope Lodge when in Honolulu for treatments, and even wigs for patients losing hair during treatment.
Cancer death rates in Hawaii have declined steadily the past 25 years, but the fight is far from over.
For more information or to sign up, contact Sarah Luchenbill of the Hilo American Cancer Society office at 935-9763 or Sarah.Luchenbill@cancer.org, or visit relayforlife.org/hilohi.
