By Mary Haley
For the Mirror
Travis Singer of Altoona has taken part in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life for several years, so he never missed a beat when the group asked him for more help to fight the disease that has affected so many lives.
"It seems like everybody you talk to has their own personal memory of being touched by it," he said.
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 1,638,910 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed this year.
Singer will perform at the Striking Chords Against Cancer event Sunday at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona. Other performers will be Felix and the Hurricanes, the Felons, Chris Vipond and the Stanley Street Band, Ryan Matthew, Drew Dodson and Matt Wagner.
Fact Box
If you go
What: Striking Chords Against Cancer, an outdoor music festival featuring 12 musical acts
When: 1 to 8 p.m. Aug. 26
Where: Railroaders Memorial Museum, Altoona
Tickets: $20, available at Giant Eagle in Altoona, American Cancer Society in Hollidaysburg, Knickerbocker Tavern and Family Pizza, both in Altoona, and all ProCare locations. Kids younger than 10 will be admitted for free.
Singer, who teaches history for the Hollidaysburg Area School District, lost his grandfather to lymphoma and lung cancer and and his wife's uncle to bone cancer.
"For me, it's always been a very personal experience," he said.
"I have nothing but great memories of him," Singer said of his grandfather. "It's really good that I have this chance to honor him in this way. There are some fantastic bands participating in this (event)."
Striking Chords Against Cancer is an offshoot of the Giant Eagle grocery store chain's Grocers Fight Cancer Day, with all proceeds benefiting the cancer society, said society income development representative Carrie Wilkinson.
"They were looking for a way to expand on the success of the Grocers Day event, and they decided to try adding something a little different like this," she said.
Wilkinson said local talent was happy to sign up for the event.
