Though it’s not quite time to lace up your sneaks just yet, Relay for Life of Baldwinsville is holding its 1980s-themed kickoff event “Rock Out Cancer” March 5 at Baker High School.

Relay for Life was founded in 1985, hence the totally tubular T-shirts and KISS-style makeup Relayers will be sporting at Rock Out Cancer.

Andrea Aquino, American Cancer Society (ACS) specialist for both the Baldwinsville and Liverpool Relay for Life committees, said the kickoff event is an opportunity for B’ville residents to learn how to start their own Relay team while enjoying food, fun and prizes.

Last year, Baldwinsville’s Relay for Life had about 800 participants. In the last three years, the B’ville campaign has raised more than $250,000.

At press time, B’ville Relayers had already raised nearly $16,000 for the 2015 campaign, which culminates June 12 and 13 with the all-night walk and luminaria ceremony at Baker.

Aquino said the Relay hype in B’ville is unique.

“I’ve been to a lot of Relay events … I think they bring something special,” Aquino said. “It’s such a tight-knit community. They’re proud to be from Baldwinsville.”

Two Relay for Life devotees, Anna Campanino and MaryAnn McCormick, are especially tight-knit — they’re cousins.

The summer after McCormick was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2008, Campanino heard about Relay for Life through a friend. She urged her cousin to join her at the 2009 event. Six years later, Campanino is a Relay chair and McCormick is on the planning committee.

“I had just finished treatment. I did the survivors’ walk. My hair hadn’t grown back yet,” McCormick recalled of her first Relay for Life. “It was the beginning of a beautiful thing.”

McCormick said her family’s team, “M.A.R.E.,” generally shoots for $5,000 a year.

“Anna’s definitely the biggest fundraiser on the team. She’s pretty relentless,” she said. “She takes it to another level.”

Campanino said M.A.R.E. brings about 50 of their Italian family members to Relay for Life, where they camp out by the high school track to grill food to fuel them for the all-night walkathon.

“As much as we raise, I know I had a part in that. It’s going to a good cause — research and things that patients and survivors need,” she said. “It is very heartwarming.”

For McCormick, the importance of Relay for Life is even more personal. She said the American Cancer Society offered a support group to help her through her journey, as she was the first in her family to be diagnosed with cancer.

“Just knowing I wasn’t alone and there were other people struggling … made me want to be a part of that,” McCormick said. “I wanted to be able to give to people the help I received when I was in treatment.”

With both the kickoff event and the Relay itself being held at Baker High School, the young people of Baldwinsville are at the center of this effort to stamp out cancer.

“They’re the future of the event,” McCormick said.

In addition to food from Pizza Man of Baldwinsville and kids’ activities, the Relay for Life committee has a musical surprise for those who attend Rock Out Cancer. Let’s just say the kickoff will be a KISS-off to cancer.

To learn more about Rock Out Cancer and this year’s Relay for Life of Baldwinsville, visit relayforlife.org/baldwinsvilleny or contact Andrea Aquino at [email protected] or 433-5627.