Teams in McDonald County are gearing up for Relay For Life, to be held June 5 at the McDonald County High School stadium.
This year’s event will start Saturday morning instead of Friday night. The goal is to give community members more time to interact with events throughout the day.
“It’s a lot of new things that they’re trying and it’s kind of exciting for them,” said Joette Blades, community manager for Relay For Life.
The day kicks off with a 7:30 a.m. registration for an 8 a.m. 5K run and walk. Opening ceremonies will be at 10 a.m. and will feature a speech by a survivor. Walkers start after the morning ceremony and go throughout the day. The Girl Scouts will hold a children’s corner with activities. There is a morning poker run, pie auction and the survivor walk will start at 6 p.m., followed by a Power Team demonstration. Evening events end with a 9 p.m. luminary ceremony featuring “Signing for the Divine.”
Power Team members will be there throughout the day to meet kids and interact, Blades said. Member J.D. Anderson is from the area.
“We’re just hoping that will be a really good influence on a lot of the young people there,” Blades said. “We feel really honored that they’re going to come.”
Joining a team is not required to get involved with Relay, Blades said, just coming out and enjoying the fun, making a donation, or buying something from the concessions stand will help. Funds go toward research and they help local cancer patients.
“I always tell everybody eventually it always comes back here anyway,” Blades said. “Because if you’ve ever had a mammogram or a PSA test or any of those things – that was all discovered by American Cancer Society funded researchers. So everything that the money goes towards eventually comes back to our communities anyhow.”
Last year, McDonald County raised $32,000 and although they initially wanted to more than double that, the official goal has been set at $40,000.
“Relay is so important,” Blades said. “More and more cancer patients come in all the time whether to get a wig or they need help with transportation … If it wasn’t for the money that we raise through Relay For Life, none of those things would be possible.”
After she helped one patient with a new prosthetic, the woman turned to her with thanks.
“Please tell them I said thank you,” the woman cried. “I never would have gotten this.”
That, Blades said, is what fundraising through Relay is all about.
