Relay for Life marks 18th year

The 18th edition of Relay for Life will be Saturday starting at noon at the Colfax High School track.

The relay has 14 teams signed up to participate with a total of 201 participants as of press time. The sign-up exceeds the total of participants from last year.

Funds raised as of this week have exceeded $14,000.

Committee plans for this year involve converting to the new relay hours after the committee dropped the overnight format. Hours for this year’s event will be from noon to midnight.

Opening ceremonies will be at noon with a flag ceremony by Cub Scout Pack 595 and Boy Scout Troop 595, the National Anthem performed by Lindsay Webber, invocation by Pastor Don Moore, cancer story by Denise Fowler.

The opening will be followed by introduction of teams and Relay for Life participants. Masters of ceremonies will be Greg and Gwen Nolan.

The new schedule includes children’s activities in the middle of the field, chair massages from noon to 4 p.m., survivor and caregiver check-in at 6 p.m. and a welcome to them at 6:30 p.m. Survivors’ lap around the track with families and caregivers will be at 6:30 p.m. with special music, “The Parting Glass,” sung by Leah Phillips, Becky Hemphill and Anna Zook. A cancer story will be given by Greg and Gwen Nolan and a survivors’ reception will be at a designated tent.

The Wild Oats Cup Cake Walk will be from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., The first closing of the silent auction will be at 8 p.m.

At 8:45 p.m., the Luminaria Ceremony will begin with Alan Pierce reading a poem, Greg Nolan doing The Empty Table and Dean Ellis, Alan Pierce and Suzy McNeilly reading the names of cancer victims.

From 10 to 11 p.m., the Nolan Heating team will host Bingo.

The final closing for the silent auction will be at 11:15 p.m. and the winners will be announced at 11:35 p.m.

Closing ceremony will begin at 11:45 p.m.

Other plans include stocking more water for relay team members throughout the afternoon and possibly installing mist machines for cooling team members while they walk around the track, according to Cozy Lueck, committee chair.

She noted many Relay for Life events around the state are converting to a noon to midnight format to avoid the drop in participation in the early morning hours.