Relay should meet $45,000 goal
TERESA MULLINS / Staff Writer
Posted: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 12:34 am
HAYSI — The people walking underneath the arch of purple and white balloons spanned all ages and several generations, from a 19-month-old toddler to a woman in her 80s. They were attending the fourth Relay for Life in Dickenson County, kicking off the event with a survivor’s lap.
As each cancer survivor completed the first lap, they released a white balloon into the air. Onlookers clapped and shared tears and laughter as each person returned to the starting point.
The relay, held Friday at the Dickenson County Fairgrounds, honors those who have fought the disease, remembers those who lost the fight, and raises both money and awareness for the American Cancer Society.
The event was very successful, organizers say. Because donations will be accepted through August, a grand total isn’t yet available. But Bonnie Jones, who is the American Cancer Society’s community manager for this region, said yesterday that more than $41,000 has been raised so far. She is confident organizers will reach their goal of raising $45,000 this year.
New to this year’s event was a Kid’s Walk, which included nearly 50 participants who raised more than $3,000. The Kid’s Walk was sponsored by TruPoint Bank. Bridget Owens, a bank employee, coordinated the event and her husband, who owns Wright Equipment Company, purchased four bicycles to be given away during the walk. Both Owens and her husband are originally from Dickenson County.
Coleman, who also works for TruPoint Bank, said the Kid’s Walk couldn’t have been such a success without the aid of the Owenses. ARCHS Headstart loaned blow-up games to entertain children during the Relay for Life, said relay co-chair and organizer Jan Coleman.
The games were a big hit with the younger set attending the relay. Each year, a dinner honoring cancer survivors is held before the Relay for Life begins. Coleman recognized members of Splashdam Freewill Baptist Church in Haysi, who sponsored the Survivor’s Dinner again this year.
The relay committee, which meets throughout the year in preparation for the event, is made up largely of members of Splashdam Church. Coleman said she would love to see more churches in the county participate in the event. She also said more organizers and volunteers are needed for the committee.
“Organizing the event, setting up for it and taking everything down when it is over is a lot of work. We couldn’t have done it without volunteers pitching in,” Coleman stated.
For those who wonder how funds from the Relay are spent, The American Cancer Society provides the following breakdown:
• 21 cents of every dollar goes to prevention, including brochures on smoking cessation, colon care, etc.;
• 18 cents goes toward patient support, support groups, gas card assistance, etc.;
• 17 cents goes toward detection and treatment to help people get mammograms, treatments, prescriptions, etc.;
• another 17 cents goes toward research, including any research to help eliminate any type of cancer;
• 19 cents goes to fundraising projects such as the relay; and
• 8 cents goes to management and general funding, such as paying the phone bill.
If you missed the relay but would still like to contribute, you can mail a check to Bonnie Jones at The American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 246, Abingdon, Virginia 24212.
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