About 25 years ago, Joan Schaum learned about Relay For Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, through her employer, and she joined a team. She didn't know that the organization would touch her personally in the future.

Years later, her mother-in-law, Jackie Immel, moved in with Joan and her husband, Jeffrey, to their home in Columbia. While living with the Schaums, Immel was diagnosed with several types of cancer.

The Schaums took Immel to the Lancaster Relay For Life, which was then a 24-hour event focused on walking laps around a track to raise funds for cancer research.

"She loved walking around the track," Joan recalled. "When she couldn't walk around the track anymore for the survivor lap, we put her in a wheelchair and pushed her around the track. She thought it was awesome that all these people were clapping for her and cheering her on, and she had no idea who they were."

In 2016, Immel passed away from kidney failure. The loss prompted the Schaums to take action in Immel's memory.

"We thought it would be nice to honor her, and she liked the Relay so much, we decided to start our own team," Jeffrey said.

Recalling how much his mom liked the survivors' dinner part of Relay For Life, he had an idea.

"We thought, 'Why don't we start a survivor breakfast?'" Jeffrey said. "Growing up, any time we had big events, my mom cooked. We thought, 'What a great way to honor her by cooking for the cancer survivors and their caregivers.'"

They named their team The Breakfast Crew, and they served their first meal of pancakes, baked goods, meats and more in the tent at the Relay For Life site at Conestoga Valley High School.

"We were hoping we could bring in people who couldn't come for the Friday night meal," Jeffrey said, noting that at the time, Relay For Life took place from Friday to Saturday.

The Breakfast Crew features about 20 members, all from Joan and Jeffrey's family.

"My brothers and sister help, and Joan's family jumped right in, too," Jeffrey said.

Over the years, the group has served hundreds of people, providing upwards of 150 servings at each meal.

"He never does anything little," Joan said with affection toward her husband. "He was feeding the Relay For Life workers, the EMS people on-site, anybody walking the track."

After the pandemic, the format for Relay For Life changed. It became a one-day event that takes place in the afternoon and evening, negating the need for a breakfast, but the Schaums continued to serve the cause.

"The organizers asked us if we'd like to do a dinner instead, so we did," Jeffrey said. "Last year, we made chicken potpie. This year, we're doing homemade chicken corn soup and vegetable beef soup."

They still call their team The Breakfast Crew, even though they are now serving dinner, and their contributions have extended beyond Relay day.

Each February, they help to host Taste of Relay, a potluck-style dinner for cancer survivors and their caregivers. During the Christmas season, they organize a Breakfast with Santa event.

On Saturday, March 28, they'll host breakfast with the Easter Bunny at the Easter Egg Hunt, Breakfast & Spring Vendor Market. The event is open to the public and will take place at the Church of the Apostles, 1850 Marietta Ave., Lancaster. Doors will open at 8:45 a.m., and the event will run until noon. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4aUSP6V.

"Everything is donated for the meals we provide," Joan said. "We don't charge Relay for anything. Our family members all help out, even if they can't be there the day of the meal. They'll make something or donate something."

The Schaums encourage others to get involved in Relay For Life, noting that the organization has numerous ways for people to volunteer, including helping with setup or cleanup at the Relay or volunteering with other activities throughout the year.

Although they didn't realize how big a part Relay For Life would play in their lives when Joan joined that first team decades ago, they both say they can't imagine not being involved with the cause.

Both emphasize how positive Relay For Life is, focusing on optimism and joy.

"It's not a morbid event. It's a celebration," Joan said. "It's about the mission to celebrate life, remember loved ones, fight back and offer hope."

Both Joan and Jeffrey agree that tackling a cause like eradicating cancer is an overwhelming task, but they believe that everyone can make an impact.

"Everybody says, 'What can I do? We can't fix this,'" Jeffrey said. "Well, there's strides being made every day in the fight against cancer. Having The Breakfast Crew is something we can do. We can't do everything, but we can do this."

The 2026 Relay For Life will be held on Friday, June 12, from 3 to 11 p.m. at Conestoga Valley High School, 2110 Horseshoe Road, Lancaster. Now called the Festival of Hope, the event will feature survivor activities and dinner, a caregiver area, a glow run, inflatables and other kids' activities, food trucks, vendors and more. For more information or to support a team, visit http://www.relayforlife.org/palancaster.