High School's Blackout Cancer Game Honors Survivors Friday

Cancer survivors will take a victory lap around Hamilton County High School's gym this Friday night, cheered on by their community in a powerful show of solidarity.

The Blackout Cancer Game takes place February 13th as the Foxes face off against the Carmi-White County Bulldogs. Between the junior varsity and varsity games, survivors will be invited to walk a lap of honor around the gymnasium while the crowd celebrates their strength.

Survivors can meet in the school commons with three minutes left in the JV game to prepare for their special moment. The school is encouraging everyone in the stands to wear Blackout Cancer shirts or survivor shirts to turn the gym into a sea of support.

The evening goes beyond basketball. Organizers will display raffle baskets in the commons, register survivors, and share information about the upcoming Relay For Life event. It's a chance for the community to learn how they can join the fight against cancer throughout the year.

Relay For Life chair Janice Crow says the game serves as the official kickoff for the 2026 Relay season. The energy and hope from Friday night will carry forward to the main Hamilton/Wayne/White County Relay For Life event on June 13th at the Carlton Center in McLeansboro.

The Ripple Effect

What started as a high school basketball game has become something much bigger. This annual tradition brings together three counties to remind survivors they don't fight alone. When someone walks that survivor lap on Friday, they'll carry the hopes of neighbors who've lost loved ones, families currently battling cancer, and young students learning the power of community support.

The event plants seeds that grow throughout the relay season. Attendees who come for the game often become volunteers, fundraisers, and advocates. Last year's participants helped raise thousands for cancer research and patient support programs that serve these rural Illinois communities.

Friday night's game proves that hope spreads faster than any diagnosis ever could.