Press Releases

Today, the American Cancer Society and the cancer world lost a true hero, Pat Flynn, a volunteer who worked tirelessly to change the face of cancer forever. Her life’s legacy includes 3 children, 15 grandchildren, and a cancer-fighting footprint of over 2,500 fundraising events in 30 countries, with 1.3 million participants. Pat is known to us all as the “Mother of Relay For Life.” She helped turn an idea into a movement that reached countless communities, raising over $6 billion to fight cancer and save lives, since the inception of this grassroots concept in 1985. For more than 3 decades she was a leader and driving force behind the Relay For Life movement which grew into the world’s largest and most impactful fundraising event to lead the fight against cancer. Her enormous efforts helped change lives forever, and empowered communities around the world to have hope.

Our thoughts, hearts, and prayers are with her family and friends. We hope there will be peace in knowing that her legacy has made a tremendous impact on so many throughout the world. We will miss Pat dearly, but she will never be forgotten, and she can be best remembered in her own words.

"As a mother, you want to see your children grow and have an impact on the world around them.  As the ‘Mother of Relay,’ I am thrilled to see the energy and spirit of Relayers continue to grow around the world. They have taken the light of Relay For Life from us here in the United States, and are truly united with us in creating a world without cancer.”