The Whitley County Relay for Life needs your help!
Relay for Life officials are looking for a Churubusco resident to help coordinate local efforts for this year’s event June 6 and June 7.
Last year’s RFL raised over $60,000 for the American Cancer Society. A total of 31 teams participated and this year’s RFL chairperson, Jade Pfeiffer, wants to increase those numbers to 40 teams who raise $65,000 during this year’s event.
“We would like to throw down the gauntlet to Churubusco to see if they can increase the number of teams from your community,” Pfeiffer said. “There was just one team from Churubusco last year, which we appreciated very much, but we’d like to see more.”
The 24-hour campout will be held from 9 a.m. on June 6 until 9 a.m. on June 7 at Indian Springs Middle School on S.R. 9 just south of Columbia City.
According to RFL Chair, Jade Pfeiffer, the 2-day event is designed to represent a day in the life of a cancer survivor.
Theme for 2009:
“Lights, Camera, Cure -
Relay’s 25th birthday
meets the Silver Screen.”
A team leader organizes his/her own group and participants fundraise in various ways (bake sales, car washes, etc) through the year,” Pfeiffer said. “At the June event, each team has a campsite, decorated in the theme – this year it’s ‘Lights, Camera, Cure – Relay’s 25th birthday meets the silver screen’ – and there are different ‘theme hours’ featured around the clock.”
“Last year the theme was ‘Seasons of Hope,’ so each hour we featured a different month,” Pfeiffer said. “We had kite day and Mr. Roger’s day, as well as trick-or-treating and a Christmas hour.”
While team members walk or jog the track continuously to raise funds for the event, they are entertained by local bands like the Blue River Big Band and entertainers like The Red Hat Strutters.
In the past, local high school athletic teams hosted fun activities for children who are participating in the event, Pfeiffer said.
“There are also bingo and Texas hold ‘em games and the midnight mile – a 4×4 relay – is always a highly anticipated event.”
“The midnight mile is followed by shopping cart races and even turkey bowling,” Pfeiffer said.
The luminary ceremony at dusk is one of the most moving parts of the relay. Names of cancer survivors and those who have lost the battle are featured on luminary bags that surround the track and the names are read aloud while participants pay tribute with prayer or a moment of silence.
Anyone may purchase a luminary throughout the year for $10 or a freewill donation of their choice.
If you are interested in forming a team, participating as an individual or helping organize efforts in Churubusco for this year’s RFL, contact any of the following people:
- Jade Pfeiffer, Whitley County RFL Chair, at jadepfeiffer@gmail.com or 260 503-5336;
- Sara Goff, ACS staff partner, at sara.goff@cancer.org, 260-609-3910 or ACS 800-509-7543;
- Jennifer Lilly, Team Development Chair, at avisacres@embarqmail.com;
- Cari Wells, past chair and RFL Team Development Committee, at carirwells@yahoo.com.
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