This year’s Relay for Life is set to kick off Friday afternoon
with 26 teams ready to put their best foot forward to raise money
for the American Cancer Society.
The theme for this year’s Relay for Life – set to start at 3
p.m. Friday in Callahan Park – is “Relay Las Vegas,” said Fran
Stewart, American Cancer Society income development specialist.
“Don’t be too surprised if Elvis shows up,” Stewart joked
Tuesday. “There will be teams with wedding chapels, casinos,
convenience stores and even flamingos. We’re real excited about
it.”
Stewart said there were already 575 luminaries sold for the
event on Tuesday.
Stewart said the food court is back this year, but it will be
run by all teams and no outside vendors to give the teams a chance
to make more money. As of Tuesday, Stewart said 13 teams had signed
on to provide food, including hot dogs, hamburgers, beverages,
pies, candy and pretzels. She said one team will be hosting a
breakfast again this year on Saturday morning.
Stewart said the craft vendors will also be returning this year
and will be set up in the ice skating rink. She said 13 vendors
were signed up Tuesday to sell a variety of items, including gift
baskets, alpaca items, Tupperware, home and garden supplies and
chocolate-covered strawberries. She said the vendors will be open
Friday night until 11 p.m.
Stewart said games and activities, planned by Harry Solarek,
will start at 11 p.m. Friday and run until 5 a.m. Saturday. One
activity will be karaoke that will start at 11 p.m. Friday.
New this year is a “kiddy carnival” for children up to the age
of 12, Stewart said. The carnival will run from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Friday in the ice skating rink for the small fee.
Stewart said that Barbara Boser, the advocacy chairman, will be
in the ice skating rink where they will take a picture and put it
on a message to send to the state legislators.
The survivors’ registration is at 6 p.m., and the survivors
ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. at the park’s baseball field #2, next
to the ice skating rink. This year’s guest of honor is Joann
Walter, a cancer survivor, who will lead the survivors in the
ceremony.
The Luminaria ceremony will follow at 8 p.m.
“New for luminaries, we’re offering to take pictures of
(people’s) loved ones and scan the pictures in to use in a slide
show presentation,” Stewart said. “We will still take pictures up
until Thursday. Luminary bags will be sold right up until 7:30
Friday night. The price we’re asking for those is a gift from the
heart.”
The pictures can be sent to the McKean Unit office.
Stewart said the last lap will take place at 1:30 p.m. Saturday,
and the closing ceremonies will take place at 1:45 p.m.
Stewart said in case of rain, the event will be moved inside the
ice skating rink, which she said is big enough to accommodate
everyone.
“We’d like as many people to come” as can, Stewart said. “It’s
not just an event for people with cancer or people who know someone
who has cancer; it’s a community event. We have entertainment, and
people can come and enjoy some good food. It will be a great
weekend.”
Stewart said the goal this year is $97,300. She said 40 percent
of the funds raised go to cancer research. The other 60 percent of
funds raised will support local patient services and programs in
McKean County such as Road to Recovery, a program where volunteers
drive patients to their treatment; Look Good, Feel Better, a
program where local beauticians help patients feel better by
supplying wigs, make-up and other beauty products and services; and
Reach for Recovery, a buddy group program where newly diagnosed
cancer patients are buddied up with someone who had the same type
of cancer and has gone through the treatment for support.
“I wish that all of our teams could see how thankful patients
are when the American Cancer Society can help them with their
needs,” Stewart said.
Officials also announced that Temple-Inland will once again be a
Diamond Level sponsor for the Relay for Life.
The Temple-Inland Relay Team has participated in the event for
the past eight years and has contributed over $100,000 to the Relay
for Life of Bradford. The donations from the team and corporate
sponsorship has helped cancer research and local patient
programs.
Mary Ann Oliver, human resource manager at Temple-Inland, said
the team members are supported by the employees throughout the
fundraiser events the team participates in throughout the year. The
team walks in honor of cancer survivors and in memory of those that
have passed away from the disease, including employees of
Temple-Inland and their family members.
“All of our employees have either been affected by cancer or
knows someone that has had cancer and that is who we walk for,”
said Scott Collins, Temple-Inland plant accountant, according to an
American Cancer Society press release.
