Join us on Saturday, May 17, at Cedar Beach, North Ott Street and Parkway Boulevard in Allentown, across from the Allentown Rose Gardens for four hours of fun-filled activities to celebrate people and dogs affected by cancer. We invite everyone to share in the fun, whether or not you own a dog. This event has free admission and will be held rain or shine.

Bark For Life is a special fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, created to honor the lifelong contributions of our canine caregivers. The community is welcome to enjoy a mini dog-focused Relay and activities while honoring or remembering family members, friends, co-workers and our beloved dogs affected by cancer. Please go to this You Tube video to see what a Bark is all about. It can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFUEoX122Gg.

This event falls under the Relay For Life of Whitehall, which will be held at the Whitehall High School on June 20-21. Both the Bark and the Relay include all the residents and businesses of the Allentown, Catasauqua, Northampton, and Whitehall-Coplay school districts. People and businesses outside this area are also welcome.

Register your dog now for a donation to Bark for Life of $20 per dog. Your donation will include a Bark for Life Bandana. Dogs who raised a minimum of $35 will also receive a Bark for Life T-shirt. Dogs who raise a minimum of $50 will also receive a Bark for Life T-shirt and Bark for Life Leash. Dogs that raise $100 or more will receive a Bark for Life T-shirt and Leash plus the Golden Paws Award for 2014 and will be recognized at the Bark and the Relay. The Top Dog Fundraiser will be the grand marshal at the Bark for Life. Limit two dogs per human participant, please. Kids under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Registration is 10-10:45 a.m. Forms and information are available at www.sharinoctor.com in the Bark For Life section. We will then have an opening ceremony and will do our celebratory walk. We have a short walk of mile and a longer walk of 1 mile for those who have different walking strengths and needs. The walks are in a loop so you can go around as many times as you would like. The area is enclosed within the park and there are no motor vehicles.

We also will have activities and demonstrations from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., including a visit by the Allentown K-9 Unit, kids' fingerprinting and activities and Allentown's fire bomb dog. Contests include a costume contest, dog-owner look-alike contest, largest and smallest pooch, best/cutest trick and doggie musical chairs (with hula hoops instead of chairs). There will also be vendors and food available for purchase.

We will have informational booths from the American Cancer Society. Dogs also have cancer and go through treatments just like people. We encourage anyone who has been touched by cancer either by their family, friends or pets to join us, and to let friends and family know about this event through social media connections.

We need cancer survivors, caregivers, sponsors, veterinarians, canine-related product companies, canine clubs, pet stores and the whole community to help us. We also need sponsors and donations, dog registrations and activity ideas. Call Shari Noctor, Relay event chair, at 610-266-5241. Please Join our pack and raise your paws for our cause. Thank you.