Flames of Hope: A Celebration of Life, sponsored by the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, kicks off on Friday at 6 p.m. at the downtown Providence Marriott, located at 1 Orms St.

At the Friday kickoff, Cranston singer-songwriter Rob Marin will join vocalist Kelley Lennon to premiere “I’ll Give Your Weak My Strength,” a song Marin and Greg Lato wrote and recorded specifically for the Gemma Foundation. The lyrics to “I’ll Give Your Weak My Strength” are based on conversations Marin and Lato had with some of the young breast cancer survivors appearing in the calendar.

“We were very inspired by their stories,” said Marin.

Marin and Lato donated their time writing the song and recording it in Boston and New York City. They both agreed during an interview that the process was challenging at first but eventually fell together smoothly.

“I usually write songs for vocalists like Rob and Kelley to sing,” said Lato. “This time, for me, it was almost like I was writing a song for those survivors and their families to sing.”

The lyrics begin, “You walked into the room, with your tears rolling down. You could barely tell me the news and you said, ‘What do we do now?”

The song deals with the difficulties women and men – in this case, a young couple – face when a breast cancer diagnosis is received. The chorus is uplifting and evokes the support and optimism necessary to get through treatment and survivorship.

“We just wanted to do their stories justice,” said Marin.

Marin’s song will soon be available on iTunes and other online music retailers. For more information, visit www.robmarin.com.

Report by Meri R. Kennedy.