More than 3,000 glowing paper bags will line Salem's Riverfront Park amphitheater on the evening of Aug. 20, each one representing a person touched by cancer.

The annual Lights of Hope event, organized through the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Gerry Frank Amphitheater, 200 Water St. NE. Admission is free.

Salem resident Kathy Ottele, ACS CAN's State Lead Ambassador, leads the local effort. Ottele began her advocacy work after losing her father to pancreatic cancer in 1997. "Losing my father to pancreatic cancer changed my life, completely," she wrote in her American Cancer Society Voices of Hope profile in April. "My journey began in 1997 and continues to this day."

Ottele, who lives in Salem with her husband, three sons and two grandsons, was named ACS CAN's State Lead Ambassador of the Year in 2020 for her volunteer work pushing cancer-related policy at the state and federal level.

The event has grown steadily since its early years. A previous Salem display featured about 500 bags; last year's event at the same amphitheater drew more than 1,000. This year's goal of 3,000 luminaria would triple that count, according to the event's ACS CAN fundraising page.

Beyond the luminaria, visitors can walk through a giant inflatable colon designed to teach people the warning signs of colon cancer, Salem Reporter reported. The event also aims to raise money for lobbying efforts to make cancer treatment more accessible.

Residents who want to honor or memorialize a loved one can purchase a luminaria bag through individual ACS CAN fundraising teams. Nationally, the Lights of Hope program has displayed more than 85,000 bags and raised over $900,000 for cancer advocacy.

Upcoming at Riverfront Park:

• Thursday, Aug. 20, 7–9 p.m.: Lights of Hope cancer memorial, Gerry Frank Amphitheater, 200 Water St. NE. Free.