Helping to fight cancer

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The Fayette County Relay for Life was held Friday and Saturday at the Washington High School track and field to help raise funds for life-saving cancer research. Pictured here is one of the teams that were set-up during the event. Teams this year were successful in raising about $30,000.

The annual Fayette County Relay for Life was held on Friday and Saturday to help raise funds for life-saving cancer research, to honor those fighting cancer, and to remember loved ones lost to the disease.

In more than 5,200 communities and 20 countries, Relay For Life events comprise the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Each Relay For Life event is special to its community, but the movement’s true power lies in the combined commitment of thousands of participants, volunteers, and supporters to help the American Cancer Society save lives from cancer.

According to local organizers, 24 teams and 231 participants raised $22,380.67 and the Relay was successful in bringing that total to about $30,000 of the $44,000 goal. The Relay for Life of Fayette County will continue to accept donations until August, which can be submitted at relayforlife.org/fayetteOH.

The event began on Friday at 6 p.m. at the Washington High School track and field with cancer survivors walking a victory lap for their brave fight against cancer. The visitors and teams gathered around the track to clap for the survivors. After finishing the first lap, cancer patient nurses or caretakers, or individuals who had lost someone to cancer, were asked to walk the second lap.

“We had about 20 teams set up at the track Friday and stay with us until we got rained out at about 2:30 or 3 a.m. Saturday morning,” said Amy Mason, marketing and publicity chair for the Relay for Life in Fayette County. “We were lucky to have several new teams this year and I believe it went really well.”

D.J. Charlie McCoy provided music again this year for the event and one team had scheduled a magician, who amazed the crowd. Relay organizers said they also found success in a new Little Mister/Little Miss Relay contest where children were asked to dress up in their best “Woodstock” outfit that fit the theme of the 2015 Relay for Life.

“We had a better than expected turnout for the Little Mister, Little Miss Relay contest,” Mason said. “We are hoping to bring it back next year and to have even more prizes for all of the kids, because we really had a lot of cute ones this year.”

Organizers also said they are excited to announce that they have partnered with the local Channel 3 broadcast. They came to the event and recorded the duration of the Relay. It will be broadcast on Channel 3 beginning as soon as this Thursday, according to Mason.

“We would really like to thank all of our sponsors, big or small, for their contribution to the Relay. Every dollar has helped in fighting cancer and providing even more cancer research,” Mason said. “We would also like to thank organizers and teams for their hard work in raising money, and volunteers and the community for supporting all that we do at the Relay for Life, especially with the Paint the Town Purple events. We are already excited to be planning for next year.”

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