Thursday, October 1, 2026
For 16 years, Marie Burns walked Baldwin's Relay for Life track in support of cancer patients and survivors. On Saturday, the longtime participant will return in a different role, serving as the event’s survivor speaker after battling Stage 3 ovarian and peritoneal cancer.
After spending years raising money and advocating for cancer research, Burns, 59, hopes her own experience will encourage residents to prioritize their health and support the cause she has championed for more than a decade.
Relay for Life, the American Cancer Society’s signature event, raises money for cancer research, patient services and advocacy while celebrating survivors and honoring those lost to the disease. As of press time, Baldwin’s nine participating teams had raised more than $22,500. This year’s relay will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. in Baldwin Park.
Burns first got involved in 2009 when her younger sister, Geanine, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 39. Looking for a way to help, she joined the Baldwin event.
“I felt like it kind of gave me a purpose, something I could do to help my sister,” Burns said. “I just felt like, for her, it gave her a voice.”
That desire to make a difference led Burns to a group of Baldwin mothers who were building a Relay for Life team of their own. She joined Renee Salmon and Jennifer Scarduzio on the team, which was called Because We Care, reflecting its mission to support families affected by cancer and to raise money for research. Years later, both Scarduzio and Burns would face cancer diagnoses of their own.
Today, the team remains one of Baldwin’s top Relay for Life fundraisers, ranking second among the event’s nine teams.
Over the years, Burns became increasingly involved in the event, serving on the planning committee and later as an event chair while helping organize fundraisers throughout the year.
One of her favorite traditions is the annual luminaria ceremony, when candlelit bags line the Baldwin Park track in honor of loved ones affected by the disease. “That’s always a very emotional time,” Burns said. “You get to see truly how many people, even just locally, are affected by cancer.”
After years working as a clerical assistant in Nassau County courts, Burns entered 2025 focused on a new chapter in her career. In May, she accepted a promotion to senior court clerk in Manhattan Supreme Criminal Court, but less than two weeks into the job, a lingering case of shortness of breath prompted her to seek medical attention.
A chest X-ray revealed that one of her lungs was filled with fluid, leading doctors to admit her to the hospital for two nights. A subsequent CT scan uncovered multiple masses in her ovaries, uterus and peritoneal lining, resulting in a diagnosis in June of Stage 3 ovarian and peritoneal cancer.
“Honestly, I was numb,” Burns recalled.
After the initial shock, she said, she quickly shifted her focus back to work. Barely a month into her new role, she continued commuting to Manhattan while juggling medical appointments, chemotherapy treatments and the uncertainty of her situation. She underwent a hysterectomy in October, returned to work in December and continued chemotherapy. In March doctors found no evidence of disease, though she continues to receive maintenance infusions every three weeks.
Throughout her treatment, Burns leaned on family, friends and fellow members of Because We Care, many of whom stepped in to help with rides, appointments and day-to-day support.
Among those who stood by her was Salmon, a longtime friend and the team’s captain. “She never showed any fear that I saw,” Salmon said. “Even when chemo got the better of her, she still was like, ‘I got this.’”
“It’s overwhelming and beautiful,” Burns said of the support she received.
She had helped Scarduzio during her battle with breast cancer years earlier. When Burns was diagnosed, Scarduzio said, she was devastated, but hopeful. Burns’s willingness to speak publicly about her diagnosis, Scarduzio said, offers hope to other women facing similar challenges.
For years, Burns listened as survivors shared their stories from the Relay for Life stage. It wasn’t until her own diagnosis that she fully understood what those experiences meant.
“You look over the years of all the survivor speakers, and you listen, but you don’t get it,” Burns said. “Then you’re one.”
The experience transformed her perspective on cancer. What had once been a cause she supported became a reality she lived through, giving her a firsthand understanding of the fears, side effects and daily challenges faced by patients and survivors.
When relay organizers asked Burns to serve as this year’s survivor speaker, she initially declined. She worried that people would see her diagnosis before seeing the person she had always been. “I want to be Marie,” she said. “Not Marie who fought cancer.”
She later changed her mind, believing her experience could help others recognize symptoms, advocate for themselves and seek medical care. She also hoped that sharing her story would remind people that cancer can affect anyone.
Burns was a natural choice for the role given her years of involvement with Relay for Life and her willingness to share her experience. “Marie exudes positivity, always with a smile — never a negative word about anything or anyone,” Baldwin event organizers Miguel and Abby Melendez said.
The Melendez's said they hope this year’s event will raise awareness about the resources available through the American Cancer Society, including rides to treatment, lodging assistance and support programs for caregivers.
During the survivor lap on Saturday, Burns said, she will be thinking about her three children, family and friends who supported her throughout treatment.
“If it helps one person go to the doctor or take care of themselves,” she said, “then I think my mission is OK.”
