By Carol Mills
Staff Writer
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. —
The American Cancer Society Relay for Life will start Saturday, June 9, at 4 p.m. at the Laurel-London Optimist Club Center’s horse rink off west Ky. 80.
The event usually begins on a Friday evening, runs all night, and then ends on Saturday morning.
“We’re starting a little earlier on Saturday than we did on Friday to give people a chance to come out and play the games and so on,” said Marti Harris, community representative. “There’s a lot of children’s games, the teams are doing them; there are silent auctions going, food for sale.”
The relay raised $65,000 last year and Harris hopes to raise that much or more this year. They have 25 teams registered.
The survivor walk begins at 4 p.m., followed by a reception for them; WKYT’s newscaster, Sam Dick, cancer survivor, will speak at 8 p.m.; luminaries will be sold until 9 p.m. for $5 and the ceremony will begin at 10 p.m.; and a Relay Womanless Beauty Contest will be held at 11 p.m.
“We had it (beauty contest) last year, but this year we have a lot more teams participating in it,” Harris said. “It’s a fundraiser because you vote with money on the best looking woman that’s not a woman. The men dress as women. They compete for Miss Relay. They collect money from the crowd as to who the best looking woman is.”
The team games will begin at midnight on Saturday, followed by a Team Spirit award; and on Sunday there will be a sunrise service at 6 a.m.
Relay for Life events support the American Cancer Society’s mission of saving lives by helping people stay well, by helping people get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back against the disease.
Relay for Life events are held overnight as individuals and teams camp out near the horse rink, with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track at all times throughout the evening.
Teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their campsites during Relay. Relay for Life brings together people from all walks of life — all aimed at celebrating the lives of those who have had cancer, remembering those lost, and fighting back against the disease.
For more information call 1-800-227-2345 or Harris at 606-231-0873 or visit www.relayforlife.org/laurelky.
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer.
