Lake County gears up for annual Relay
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The 2012 Relay for Life is just around the corner, and the Lake County Relay planning committee is looking to make the event bigger and better than years past. The annual event returns to the Ronan Sports Center July 13-14 after a successful event last year.
“It worked out really well,” corporate sponsorship chair Karen Dellwo said. “Andy Holmlund was really comfortable with us being there.”
More than 250 people in 20 teams took part in last year’s event, raising more than $50,000 for cancer research.
This year’s theme is “The Magic of Relay: Dream it, Hope it, Cure it.” Each year brings a new theme, in an attempt to make the occasion more enjoyable and to bring new settings to the event. For the past few years, the focus has been colon cancer, Dellwo says, but the focus this year hasn’t been released just yet.
“They don’t give away all their secrets,” she said of the national event.
Dellwo says the goal for the Lake County Relay is to have 35 teams participate, with up to 15 people allowed per team.
“There are a number of ways to support,” she said. “Participation is important, because people can see that they can make a difference, which gives hope to all survivors.”
Dellwo encourages cancer survivors to come to the Ronan Sports Center before the main event gets underway to partake in the survivor dinner, where they can grab a quick meal and have their picture taken.
“Some don’t want others to know (about their illness), and come five years later,” she said. “Others come while they’re in treatment. We would love to have any survivors come out.”
Throughout the evening, teams play games such as bowling, card games, cake walks and cake-decorating contests. There will also be hourly giveaways, where participants can win key rings, dinners, T-shirts and caps provided by sponsors.
Kids events will include sack races, a hula hoop contest, finger painting, and story telling.
Dellwo encourages people to partake in the luminary ceremony, which is where candles are lit inside bags filled with sand, each glowing light representing someone touched by cancer.
“It’s in honor of survivors and those who’ve passed,” Dellwo said. “It’s an awesome part of Relay.”
The survivor reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., with survivor laps beginning at 7 p.m. and caregiver laps directly following.
For team signups, contact team development chair Heidi LaBree at 261-2879. Interested people can also contact Joyce Kackmann at 249-7867, and Dellwo at 261-1001.
“Finding a cure, so that anyone who deals with cancer is a survivor with a quality of life is my goal,” Dellwo said. “Relay is a celebration of survivors.”
