RADFORD – The City of Radford’s 10th annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life is coming up soon, and there is still time for form a team and join in the fundraising effort.
This year’s Relay for Life is set for April 9 and 10 at Bisset Park. So far there are 40 teams and 304 participants on-board and $9864 has been raised.
“Our goal this year is 80 teams, 800 participants and $80,000,” says Courtney Collado, a student at Radford University and co-chair for Public Relations and Marketing on the Relay for Life Committee.
Teams can still sign up online at www.radfordrelay.org. The last Team Captain Meeting is April 6 at 7 p.m. at the Radford Recreation Center. Anyone with questions can email Collado at cac@radford.edu.
This year’s theme for Radford’s Relay is “Celebrate Life! Every day is a Holiday!” Teams will set up camp in Bisset Park on Friday afternoon and keep at least one member of the team walking throughout the night until the event ends at 6 a.m. on Saturday. There is a fun slate of events to keep participants occupied throughout the night. The event kicks off with a Survivor’s Reception, followed by the poignant Survivor’s Lap.
The following is a schedule of events:
4 – 6 p.m. – Survivor Reception
6 p.m. – Opening Ceremony and Survivor’s Lap followed by Caregiver Lap (Happy New Year!
6 – 9 p.m. – Kid’s Corner- activities, games
7 – 8 p.m. – Kid’s Lap- Bunny hop Lap (Easter Egg Hunt) – Plastic eggs with be scattered around an area filled with spirit points, see how many you can find.
8 – 9 p.m. – Family Hour: (Mother’s and Father’s Day)- Family Feud with questions about cancer and cancer education. Social Scavenger Hunt.
9 – 10 p.m. – Luminaria Ceremony: (Memorial Day)- Slideshow and remembrance of those lost and still with us.
10 – 11 p.m. – Skin Cancer Awareness Hour, and Crazy Hat Lap- The person with the craziest hat will receive spirit points. (Beach Party/Summer Vacation Holiday) Skin cancer Awareness game. Beach Blanket Bingo. –Beginning of Bingo Laps
11 p.m. – Miss Relay Contest- Male participants who signed up prior to the event will go around the track dressed up as women and try to collect money in their purses from the crowd. The guy at the end of the contest with be crowned Miss Relay. Ring Around Cancer- (Ring toss around rings to reveal prizes and spirit points).
Midnight– Happy Birthday Relay! -Pin the cure on the Cancer, Dress up as your birth year (70’s, 80’s, 90’s,etc.), Piñata, Slideshow with baby pictures of team members (get baby pictures to Committee prior to the event). Cake Walk.
1 a.m. – Halloween- Costume Contest- dress in your favorite Halloween costume and be judged to win a prize or spirit points, Trick or Treat Lap. Team Captain Meeting.
2 – 3 a.m. – Thanksgiving- Hokie Pokie Lap, Best tent contest (Which ever team has the best decorated tent wins!)
2:30 – 3 a.m. – Black Friday Rush- Junk Drawer Contest (a list of items will be given out prior to the event and these items with be called out to the teams. Who ever brings the item up the fastest gets spirit points). Boxcar Contest- each team decorates a box that will be provided to look like a car, the winning teams will receive spirit points.
3 a.m. – Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza! – Human present wrapping contest (Each team will be given wrapping paper to wrap a team member up in, they will only be given a short amount of time to complete this and be judged on the best wrapped present). Entertainment Packet (different activities).
4 a.m. – Patriotic Holidays- Parade Lap. “Relay’s got Talent” Final Bingo Lap. Limbo, Musical Chairs, etc.
5 a.m. – Fight Back and Awards Ceremony- St. Patrick’s Day! – Pot of Gold.
6 a.m. – Closing Ceremony. End the event with a New Year with more Birthdays.
Throughout the night teams will be competing for spirit points, the team with the most points at the end of the event will receive a plaque for the Most Spirited Team. Other activities include Corn Hole, Musical Chairs, Soccer, Balloon Bust, and Quarters for a Cure. There will also be prizes raffled off throughout the night.
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life events give people in communities around the world “a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease,” according to the American Cancer Society description of the events. “At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.”
