This past weekend, Memorial Hospital’s Relay for Life team, participated in the annual Randolph County event at Red Bud High School. The evening started with an Opening Ceremony at 3:00pm honoring everyone who has been affected by cancer and everyone who has contributed to the success of this year's Relay season. Following the ceremony, the relay teams then processed in a Survivor/Caregiver walk around the gymnasium in celebration of the fighters. Throughout the afternoon and evening participants walked the track, with the goal of keeping someone on the track at all times. There were costumes for walkers to change in and out of as they made their laps, games provided by various organizations that set up booths along the edges, live music and a variety of entertaining acts in the center of the track each hour. The hours passed by as survivors, families, and friends shared in the many activities and visited the interactive booths with face painting, chair massages, raffles, sweet treats, and even a place to put together an Ident-A-Kid kit. Some donors donated more than just their time and money to the cause, a few brave souls donated their long locks of hair. A local beautician was cutting hair and accepting donations for "Pantene Beautiful Lengths". Pantene has worked with the American and Canadian Cancer Societies to provide free, real-hair wigs to women living with cancer since 2006.
As the night came to a close hundreds of luminary bags were placed around the track to commemorate those remembered. The overhead lights were then turned out and the bags lit up the course as all walkers once again ended the night the way they began it; walking around the track, this time in memory of the fighters. Overall the event was deemed a success with thousands of dollars raised to support the search for a cure. Everyone came together with one mission: a world without cancer. Thank you to everyone who supported the Memorial Hospital team in their fundraising efforts.