Written byPOCOMOKE CITY -- Participants in the 11th South Worcester Relay for Life are looking forward to another successful event when the activities kick off at the Lower Shore Family YMCA Saturday night.
Teams have now raised more than $500,000 since the first relay was held in Pocomoke City.
Activities begin at 6 p.m. with the opening ceremonies. The presentation of the colors will be followed by the singing of the "Star Spangled Banner" by the Island Boys. Jay Pittman will speak to the participants and guests from the point of a caregiver.
Survivors have a special place the night of the relay. Following the opening ceremonies, they are given the honor of walking in the opening lap. These are the people who have faced cancer firsthand. After they complete their lap, they will be treated to a special dinner given by the Lynnhaven Baptist Church. Any cancer survivor who has not registered is asked to do so online at www.relayforlife.org/southworcester.
Although early registration is suggested, survivors do not have to register in advance. They can just show up and register the night of the event.
A highlight of the evening will be the Ceremony of Hope usually held at dusk. As the light dims over the campsites, the night is brightened by the glow of lighted bags called luminaries, each of which has a special meaning to the donor. Some celebrate the life of a survivor who has battled cancer and lived to tell the tale.
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Members of the PMS Glee Club were among the performers for the 2010 Lower Worcester Relay for Life. They will again be on the stage for this year's event. / BILL KERBIN/WORCESTER COUNTY TIMES |
Others are lighted in memory of loved ones who have lost the battle. Anyone who wishes to purchase a luminary for a $10 contribution or a gold luminary for $25 can do so online at the relay website.
In addition to the Island Boys, other entertainers will include the Pocomoke Middle School Glee Club, Darlene Dean, the Glad Tidings Worship Band, Brittany Lewis, the Dance Loft and ARA Barrett.
According to Jennifer Holland, co-chairman, contributions can be accepted up to and including the night of the relay. "We will accept contributions all night," she said.
Relay For Life began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Wash., ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, the relay has grown from a single man's passion to fight cancer into the world's largest movement to end the disease.
Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with communities in 20 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer.
