Contest winners announced
(ROCKWALL-April 29, 2013) Rockwall County’s annual Relay For Life, the signature fundraising event for the American Cancer Society, kicked off at 7 p.m. Friday, April 26 at the Cain Middle School track.
Heath Boy Scout Troop 314 presented the colors before the CMS Soundtrack choir, directed by Rachel Fuller, took the stage to perform The Star-Spangled Banner and You Can Count on Me.
Relay began in earnest with the survivors taking the first lap to the cheers of the crowd. The Caregiver Lap and Healthcare Professional Lap followed before everyone took to the track wearing a wide assortment of party hats to celebrate the 100th birthday of the ACS.
The air was filled with the fragrant smoke of Joe Willy’s grill, and folks enjoyed their burgers, as well as Chick-Fil-A sandwiches, Firehouse Subs, Taco Casa nachos, Culver’s frozen custard, Buffalo Wild Wings and Starbucks beverages with all proceeds donated toward the fight against cancer.
Luminarias, paper bags filled with sand and a glow stick, and adorned with the name or picture of a loved one either fighting the disease or having lost their battle to cancer, surrounded the track.
Tents were brightly-decorated to suit the teams’ themes. Minnie Mouse balloons floated beside Kensley’s Klub’s tent, and the teammates wore mouse ears in memory of the small girl who lost her fight with cancer. The Rat Packers’ tent was princess pink, and the staff of OB/GYN physicians and technicians donned tiaras.
Kathleen’s Krew was western-chic with hay bales and a life-size John Wayne exhorting that cancer should be given “the boot.” Team Garee’s members wore camouflage and had a tent decorated like a M.A.S.H. unit. Anne’s Clan wore t-shirts designed by First Presbyterian’s youth group in memory of Anne Nightengale who lost her ten-year battle with cancer in March. Each of Anne’s three daughters – Holly, Marlie, and Darcie – earned one of Relay’s $1,000 shirts for their fundraising efforts.
The stage was the center of activity with games like Ball Busters where participants would blow up beach balls and pop them; the Frozen T-Shirt Contest where shirts frozen in blocks of ice which were either melted or broken apart; Spaghetti Head where contestants competed to stick the most uncooked spaghetti into a partner’s hair to form a lion-like mane; and the Duct Tape and Newspaper Fashion Show.
However, the evening turned solemn at 9 p.m. during the Hope Ceremony when the stadium lights were extinguished, and the luminarias arranged on the bleachers to spell out HOPE glowed through the darkness. While the names of those lost to cancer were being displayed from the stage, the National Charity League Class of 2017 rearranged the bags to spell out the word CURE to remind participants about the evening’s goal.
The Fight Back Ceremony at 10 p.m. encouraged everyone to take action to fight back against cancer, including having regular mammograms and colonoscopies, eating healthy, and refraining from smoking.
The action continued all night and into the morning with themed laps, including Poker Lap, the Scrabble Lap, Best Friend Lap, About Face Lap, Three-Legged Lap, Crazy Tie Lap, Crazy Bed Head Lap, Funny Socks Lap, the Sunglasses Lap, and everyone’s favorite the Miss-ter Relay Lap. This year’s contest was extremely competitive with the Soroptomist’s teams’ Joseph Schaefer and Cody Rollins dressed as “green ladies” drawing stares from the crowd, but Trey Potter’s Marilyn Monroe impersonation stole the show.
Dancing and midnight snacks kept everyone’s energy going until sunrise when the winners were announced. Best Decorated Tent honors went to the LPC Cancer Support Group, and the Most Spirited Team was a tie between RHS Buddies and Kensley’s Klub. Top individual winners were Carolyn Keane in first place, Dwain Smith in second, and Kathleen Hail in third place. Top teams in fundraising were Walkers of the Light in first, Kathleen’s Krew in second place, and Anne’s Clan in third place. The total amount raised was over $110,000.
Each year Relay For Life raises money for cancer research, but it also raises the spirits of those whose lives have been affected by the disease by giving them the hope of a future without cancer.
Written and submitted by Mary Thacker.
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