Jasmine Garcha is proudly "Fighting For You."

Her Relay for Life team is named for her mom, who overcame colorectal cancer, but it also sums up the 22-year-old's work with the fundraiser.

Garcha is the development co-chair for the Surrey Relay for Life, a position she uses to create new connections.

"I'm very focused on building relationships with teams and encouraging others," she said. "On event day I want to make teams feel welcome and make sure they have everything they need."

Garcha's mom was diagnosed in April 2000 at age 34. She went through several months of chemotherapy and radiation, after which the cancer subsided.

"My mom was diagnosed when I was 10," Garcha said. "It took me a long time to really accept it. A lot of her responsibilities got pushed onto me so I was busy and never really had the chance to deal with it or talk about it."

She said it can be hard for people to find a forum to discuss their problems when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. Garcha said she found that support in the Relay for Life community, which has provided continual support for her and her family after her mother's battle with cancer.

Even now her mom's five-year checkups still make her nervous.

"Every time she has to go in, there is always that 'what if?' It's an ongoing fear."

The Simon Fraser University grad first got involved with the Relay for Life at school in 2009.

"I knew about the Relay for Life since my mom had participated in it as a survivor," she said.

"I joined a student club SFU: SFU Club for the Cure."

Garcha's "Fighting For You" team, in her mother's honour, is one of 38 teams already registered for the Surrey event. It's June 9 at Millennium Park.

To make donations to Garcha's team, to volunteer for the Canadian Cancer Society or register your own team in the Surrey Relay for Life, see relaybc.ca/surrey2012 or call 604-538-2228.