Switzerland County’s seventh annual “Relay for Life” will be held tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday, at the track at Switzerland County High School. The event will kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday night, and will run through noon on Saturday.
The high school site will be used again this year because facilities provide ample parking, the use of the cafeteria for the Survivors Dinner, campsite spaces for teams, and the track for the walking relay event. Teams will also have access to restroom facilities; and the gymnasium will be used in case or rain.
The full schedule of events will get underway at 5:15 p.m. with the Survivors and Caregivers Dinner in the cafeteria. There is still time to RSVP for the dinner, and those wanting to attend should call Maxine Meisberger at 427-2315 or Ruth Lohide at 534-3002.
At 6 p.m., the traditional opening lap will begin with cancer survivors on the track; and they will be joined by their caregivers for the second lap.
Because the event is falling on Father’s Day weekend, the third lap of this year’s “Relay for Life” will be for all fathers.
Throughout the event, those participating will be asked to sign a “Wall of Hope” banner, which will be sent to Washington, D.C. in September to join with other banners from other events around the country. John Keeton is in charge of the banner.
At 6:30 p.m., there will be a talent show; and those men participating in the “Male Review” will be introduced. Once the candidates are announced, people will have the chance to vote for their favorite by placing money in specific containers, with the winner being the candidate who raises the most money. Games will also be going on at the different campsites run by team members.
Music by deejay “Neighbor’s Nightmare” will begin at 6:30 p.m. and run until the luminary service.
The annual “Relay for Life” auction will begin at 7:30 p.m., and again promises to be one of the most popular events at the relay. All sorts of items have been donated by businesses and individuals, and the employees of MainSource Bank will again be in charge of the auction. All money raised goes to the county’s event total.
The luminary service is set to begin at 10 p.m., if there is enough darkness at that time; and those wishing to purchase luminaries either in honor of someone or in memory of someone may do so until 8 p.m. tomorrow night.
For those late night walkers, karaoke begins at 11:30 p.m., and the results of the Male Review voting will be announced at 12:30 a.m.
On through the night, the individual campsites will be having games and visiting with other team members; and at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, everyone will get a wake up call for the final stretch of the event.
The closing ceremonies will begin at 11 a.m., and team recognitions will be announced and campsite clean ups will begin.
You don’t have to be a team member to come to the track at Switzerland County High School and enjoy all of the events of the 2006 Switzerland County “Relay for Life”. Everyone is welcome to come down and visit with friends and family; purchase a luminary; and participate in the auction.