Relay for Life raises over $90K
When all the money trickles in, it is estimated Warren County’s second Relay for Life will have raised over $90,000 – an almost 30 percent increase over last year’s event.
“It went really, really well. We had more people and raised more money than last year. This is such a generous community,” said organizer Carole Cathcart, who noted the American Cancer Society estimated Warren County had the potential for only an 8 percent increase.
Held from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday at Nunley Stadium, the local Relay event featured hundreds of local participants who walked the night away raising funds to fight cancer. The event also featured an array of food, games and other events which served to raise cancer-fighting funds.
The night began with a survivors’ lap, in which 110 cancer survivors paraded around the track. Also honored during the event’s opening ceremonies were a number of individuals, including Leslie Hampton, the longest surviving cancer patient (diagnosed in 1960); Jagger Henley, at age 6, the youngest cancer survivor; and Jimmie Laws and Dorothy Swann, the oldest cancer survivors registered at the event, both 79.
While fun and games were in abundance during the 12-hour carnival-type event, Relay for Life took on a much more serious tone at 10 p.m., when the stadium’s lights were turned off for the luminaria ceremony. During this time, 435 paper bags with lighted candles inside were placed around the track, each honoring or memorializing a cancer victim. As the names of each of the victims were read aloud, all activity came to a standstill.
Though the night’s biggest crowds were seen in the early going, a noteworthy number still remained in the pre-dawn hours, which saw additional fun and games used to motivate the all-nighters.
This year’s event was a success by any standard, said Cathcart, but it was even more spectacular considering the night’s potential for bad weather, current construction at the stadium, and the fact the event was held during Memorial Day weekend.
“It really shows the commitment of this community to fight cancer, a commitment I think is here because cancer touches so many people’s lives here in Warren County. When it gets personal, your passion increases to want to get rid of this terrible disease,” she said.