‘Remember and fight back’
Father organizes upcoming ‘Relay For Life’ in Lynbrook to honor his own
Fighting cancer is a very special mission for Adam Glickman. As this year’s chairperson organizing the American Cancer Society’s “Relay For Life” on May 21 at Lynbrook South Middle School, he will have another opportunity to celebrate his father, Jack.
It’s not just a chance to celebrate his life, but ‘remember and fight back’ against the disease, he said. “It’s a pretty amazing event,” he said. “Everyone there has someone connected to cancer, whether it’s family, friends, or someone they lost.”
Glickman, a Hewlett resident, lost his dad to lung cancer in 2004. Wanting to honor him, he began participating in Relay for Life, an annual global event to raise money and cancer awareness. “I was always trying to figure out what to do,” he said, “and saw this, and it clicked.” He has now been an active participant for nearly five years.
Participants celebrate those surviving cancer, but may grow emotional when they remember those who passed away, he said. During one of the event’s traditions, the Luminaria ceremony, participants watch as illuminated bags bearing the names of those who fought cancer are released into the sky. That activity is particularly touching for him.
“The only things that are lit up are the remembrance bags,” he said. “I explain to my kids, and they never met their grandfather…it’s not like a day goes by when I don’t think about it.”
He wants to see more of the schools and the community participate, he said. So far, $30,000 and 45 teams have signed up, in addition to more than 200 people participating. He is looking to raise $60 or $70 thousand, he added.
