Relay for Life races to record

Barbara Diamond

Laguna Beach Relay for Life teams collected almost four times more

money this year than a year ago.

“I think we will have raised a quarter of a million dollars,” said

City Clerk Verna Rollinger, captain of the City Hall Team.

That’s about $1,000 for every resident in Laguna Beach, from

new-born to nonagenarian.

“It’s phenomenal for a city of our size,” Rollinger told an

applauding City Council Tuesday.

The 24-hour event to raise money for cancer research and American

Cancer Society programs was held from 6 p.m. Saturday to 6 p.m.

Sunday on the El Morro Elementary School grounds. Thirty-nine teams

participated, 30 more than in 2003.

“We are so excited,” said Penny Svenson, co-chair of the event

with Michelle Struss.

Svenson’s father and Struss’ mother both died of cancer.

“And my stepmother was diagnosed with cancer just two weeks ago,”

Struss said.

Rollinger’s mother, Dorothy “Betty” Swenson, walked a lap in the

relay, about one month after being operated on for cancer.

“My mom was in the survivors lap,” Rollinger said. “The operation

appears to be successful.”

Realtor Rick Jenkins walked a lap and spoke to the crowd Sunday,

about a week after he had a lung removed.

Sunday’s cooling ocean breezes were welcomed by walkers, joggers,

runners and volunteers.

“We are not running, you notice,” Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson

said.

Pearson strode the track with Assistant City Manager John Pietig,

two of the 43 members of Rollinger’s team.

“Our team raised about $8,000,” Rollinger said.

The city had as many as five people on the track at one time. City

Treasurer Laura Parisi and her daughter, Alexandra, 12, took the 3 to

4 a.m. slot.

Luminarias lighted their way, lining the track. Luminarias are

paper bags weighted with sand and traditionally lighted with candles,

although glow sticks were used instead.

“Each of the bags was hand-decorated by Larisa Martus in memory of

someone,” relay volunteer registrar Doug Reilly said. “It was very

moving when they were lit.”

As of 9:15 a.m. Thursday, the event had raised $239,088.

For more information, visit https://www.acsevernts.org/relay/

ca/lagunabeach or call the city clerk’s office at (949) 497-0705.