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Relay for Life to hold 2017 Kick-off

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Relay for Life to hold 2017 Kick-off

Local group gearing up to continue fight against cancer

ralphhardin@gmail.com Relay for Life of Crittenden County is inviting the community to a kick-off rally for this year’s Relay for Life event.

Relay for Life is the premiere fundraiser for the American Cancer Society (ACS) bringing in $400 million nationwide. The local kick-off rally will be Monday, Jan. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the First Assembly of God, located at 513 Missouri St., in West Memphis. The group aims to up local participation this year, encouraging teams to begin forming now. Those teams will come from the community. Businesses, clubs, families friends, churches, schools and service organizations put together teams of eight or more participants. During the relay, team members take turns making laps or engaging in fund raising at their group’s booth, which will be decorated according to this year’s theme, “Relaying around the World.”

Rhonda Standridge volunteers for the group.

“We are interested in finding new teams this year,” said Standridge. “The hospital used to have a huge team. Our local average is about $65,000 each year with 18 teams. We need to keep raising funds to fight cancer for the ACS.”

Part of the fundraising includes luminaries. Luminaries provide an opportunity to remember a loved one lost to cancer or honor cancer survivors. It’s done at night because cancer effects people 24 hours a day. Every team will have somebody walking on the track all the time. Each team has a tent and those teams engage in a little friendly competion for fundraising.

Donations for the luminaries start at $10. Organizers will use the kick-off rally to to recruit and sign up teams.

“Join us for food, fun, and details about our upcoming event,” said Standridge, a longtime supporter of Relay for Life. “If you’d like to form a team, register a team, become a sponsor, or just learn about other ways to get involved, we welcome you to attend.”

For additional questions or information, call (901) 7258624. To honor or remember someone with a luminary or to register your team, visit relayforlife.org/crittendenar online.

This year’s Relay for Life is scheduled for Saturday, June 3.

By Ralph Hardin

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