SIDNEY – In just a few short days survivors, caregivers, family, friends and supporters will gather at the Shelby County Fairgrounds for the 2015 Shelby County Relay for Life event.
The opening remarks will start at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7, and the event will last through the closing ceremony at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8.
The event will honor survivors of cancer, the caregivers of individuals with cancer, and the ones they’ve lost to cancer.
The theme for this year’s event is “The 80’s … 30 Years Strong,” because the event is 30 years old this year.
So far 36 teams are registered and 250 people are registered, but Josh Moore, Relay for Life community manager, said plenty more will show up and register the day of.
Registering the day of is fairly simple Moore said, “They can do so by visiting the registration booth, filling out a registration form, and we will find them a campsite for their team out of the ones that have been unused.”
It is free admission and is open to the community all night long.
The 18-hour event will hold a variety of entertainment from Relay Night RAW, Tim Musser & Kendel Renee live, 80s trivia and board games, a scavenger hunt and minute-to-win-it games, Zumba, the ever popular theme laps, Friday night baked goods auction as well as a Saturday morning auction and new this year, the Road to Recovery Race.
All cars in the race must be made from cardboard and the drivers race to pick up their passengers to take them to their “treatment” and then race their passengers back home. The Road to Recovery Car Race helps educate participants and attendees about the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery Program and stresses the importance of recruiting volunteer drivers to help get patients to/from treatments.
The luminaria ceremony is at 9 p.m. This is a time to reflect on the meaning of Relay with a lighting luminaria buckets dedicated in memory or in honor of loved ones.
The event will also include community blood drives Friday, Aug. 7 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 8 from 8 a.m. to noon. The Community Blood Center (CBC) Bloodmobile will be at the Shelby County Fairgrounds for both blood drives, parked at Fair Road and Highland Ave. Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment online at www.DonorTime.com or call 1-800-388-GIVE.
Everyone who registers to donate blood will receive a free “Catch the Wave – Donate Blood” screw top water bottle with straw; everyone age 18 and older will also be entered in the CBC “Get on Board – Give Blood” summer blood drive drawing to win an all-expense-paid Hawaii vacation for two.
For more information and a full schedule of events visit www.relayforlife.org/shelbycounty or visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/RelayForLifeOfShelbyCountyOh.
