Columbus County Relay For Life

Get it together.....

2011-04-28T11:53:00.003-04:00

Okay all you Relayers....It's almost here.....are you ready? Have you collected all of the things you will need for the different laps during the 24 hour event? Well...just in case you haven't here is a complete list of the different laps...and a few suggested items you might want to bring along.....
The first official lap is the Survivor Lap @ 6pm....followed by a Survivor/Caregiver Lap....the Team Banner Lap....and a Committee Lap. At 6:30 the Power of Purple Lap...bring your purple hats...party favors...tutus....anything Purple! At 7pm the Favorite Sports Team lap....wear your favorite team's colors/logo, banner...etc. At 7:30 will be the Pink Ribbon Lap. At 9:30 the Glow Lap where we let our light shine into the night....bring your glow sticks and flash lights! At 10pm we have the Oldest Relay Shirt Lap.....what's in your closet...hmmmm??? 10:30 will be the Bubble Lap.....BYOB = Bring Your Own Bubbles! 11pm will be the Crazy Hat/Weird Hairdo Lap...pretty self explanatory. 12 midnight brings out the Midnight Mardi Gras Madness Masquerade so bring your beads and mask! 12:30 am ushers in the Pajama Lap and fashion show....prizes will be awarded....and please don't forget your teddy bear! 1am brings the Sunglass Lap....and I know y'all have some wacky glasses somewhere! 1:30am Toga! Toga! Lap...another chance to win a prize if your the creative wearer of the wackiest bedsheet! 2am is our Beach/Tropical Lap....lets see how creative you can be! 2:30am brings out the ghouls with the Mummy Lap....can you "Walk like an Egyptian"?? 3am follows with the Zombie Lap....any of you Thriller Fans out there??? 3:30 am ushers in the Team Spirit Lap with prizes awarded to the team with the most spirit and most members on the track! 4:30am will be celebrated with a Fiesta Lap....Ole! 5:30am....bring out the noisemakers!!!! Let's see how noisy we can be! 6am will be the Bedhead Lap...if we were sleeping our hair would be all messy...but remember Cancer never sleeps...wonder what your hair will look like after a night of walking? 6:30am Rise & Shine Lap ushers in a brilliant Saturday morning with Sunshine! 7:30am Bring on some more of the electric Team Spirit! 8am is the Jump Rope/Hula Hoop Lap...don't forget to pack a rope or a hoop! 9am Quitter's Lap....for all of the EX- SMOKERS and CHEWERS out there! 10am will be a Best Friend Lap! 1030am will be the second Survivor Lap of the event. 11:00am is the Inspirational/Hope Lap. 11:30 the final Power of Purple Lap....celebrating your wonderful support for our Relay For Life Event! 11:55am is the Final Event Lap...all teams walk the track carrying their Team banners! I know this is a lot to take in.....but we want you to be prepared for all of the laps during the 2011 Event! So let's Get It Together.....I'm packed and ready to go.....are you?

Survivor Dinner

2011-03-27T15:35:00.002-04:00

The American Cancer Society
Columbus County
Relay For Life

Cancer Survivor Dinner

April 9, 2011
Whiteville United Methodist Church
902 Pinkney Street
Whiteville, NC 28472
@ 6pm

Relay For Life is a community celebration honoring Cancer Survivors.
All Cancer Survivors are invited to attend this dinner and bring a guest, if they wish.

Please RSVP to the American Cancer Society
at 866-620-6781 by April 5th, 2011

Team Captains

2011-01-25T06:35:00.002-05:00

If you are a returning Team Captain or a New Team Captain and did not make it to our first annual Relay For Life Boot camp event we have a make up day for you! Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 fro 4:30pm until 6pm at Ivy's Cafe. Make plans to drop by to pick up your information and talk to us about this years event. If you have any questions just contact Cyndee Brown or Linda Mintz at bquirkee2@yahoo.com or ivyoma59@yahoo.com. Thanks...and we'll see you there!

TIME TO GET STARTED FOR 2011

2011-01-15T07:04:00.004-05:00

Hello all you Relayers! Yeah...It's that time of year again...so come out to join us on Tuesday Night, January 18th @ 6:30pm at the Columbus County Arts Council, 822 South Madison Street in Whiteville, for our KICK-OFF Event! If you've never been to a Relay event and you want to find out what it's all about, have been a Team Captain, or member of a Team, or are interested in putting together a Team this year for you Church, School, Club, or Family...then come out to join us for this yearly event! Also, if your a new or returning Team Captain please mark your calendar for Saturday, January 22nd from 9am until 12noon at Beth Israel Synagogue, 269 West Frink Street in Whiteville, for our first ever Boot Camp. This is a new event for Team Captains (or their Representative) to pick up your Team Captain Kit and learn the basics to guide your Team through a successful event! We have a lot planned for 2011 and want this to be the biggest and best Relay yet! See you there!

Fun Event For Everyone

2010-04-22T07:06:00.003-04:00

I love this time of year, the weather turns warmer, the sun shines brighter, and the birds sing louder....and...oh yeah...the Relay For Life takes place in Columbus County! There is always so much to do to get ready for Relay behind the scenes, but when the day arrives we all get to participate in the activities and have a lot of fun! It's like a 24 hour Celebration!

This year will be no exception....a Silent Auction will be held at the committee tent....the opening ceremony will be a real moving time with the presentation of colors by the WHS JR ROTC and the national anthem being sung by FAZE 4 of WCHS followed by sky diver Bob Stephens in his yearly descent to mid field from the sky above....it's pretty cool to see. Several laps follow including the Survivor, Survivor/Caregiver Lap, and Team Banner laps. This year that will be followed by the Relay For Life Variety Show....this is new and, with the talent in our county, promises to be an exciting addition.

Several bands will be entertaining this year including The Carolina Ramblers, WCHS Jazz Band, Cedar Branch Band, Redemption Hill Band, and Occam's Razor Band! The WoMANless Ms. Relay pageant was held a couple of weeks ago, but the top three contestants will make an appearance at our Relay and perform their talent for the crowd!

The fun continues throughout the night with the Named Laps that let you know what to do....Theme Laps included are for School Spirit, Power of Purple, Favorite Sports Team, Pink Ribbon, Love Train, Lighting the way for a Cure, Pajama & Teddy Bear, Sunglass & Crazy hat or hair, Disco Fever, Conga, Hungry for a cure - snack attack lap, Patriotic, Zombies, Cancer Never Sleeps Lap, Oldest Relay Shirt, Bed-head, Noisemakers, Fiesta, Team Spirit & RFL Committee, Best Friends, and Skip for a Cure! All of these laps are helpful when you haven't' slept and help to keep the walkers entertained....it's amazing to see some of the ideas the teams come up with!

There are two laps for the Survivors as the event hosts them once again Saturday morning at 11:00 am. And Speaking of Saturday morning, this one promises to be fun filled hosting a Rooster Crow Contest, Sunrise Sing-a-long, and a Zumba Presentation! The kid's Carnival is held Saturday morning and includes the Kid's Walk, the Adorable Baby Contest, Relay Awards, and Winners of the previous nights Campsite judging, 1000 Club, Corporate Sponsor Presentation!

My favorite time at Relay happens at dusk when the Luminaries are lit up to burn through the night. This beautiful reminder to all of us of the number of people who fight cancer or have lost their battle with cancer in our lives light up the night for the crowd of people who have taken the time to come out and honor them. It's an amazing time in our County and we hope that you will come out and join us!

Relay For Life Fundraising Events for April 9th and 10th, 2010

2010-04-09T06:51:00.007-04:00

Here is the current listing of Fundraisers for this weekend....come out and join us!.........

Tonight, April 9th, 2010, is the 2010 WoMANLess Beauty Pageant which will be taking place on the campus of Southeastern Community College, in the auditorium, at 7pm. There is a $5.00 donation at the door. We will also have raffle tickets $1.00 each for a chance at a $100.00 Walmart Gas Card, event t-shirts will be for sale one for $12.00 or two for $20.00, and event programs for a $2.00 donation as well. The entertainment can't be beat...there will be lots of fun and surprises...so come out and join us!

The Palmyra Baptist Church Youth group will be hosting a spaghetti dinner tonight, April 9th, 2010 and a rock-a-thon throughout the night to benefit the American Cancer Society. The event starts at 7pm and the plates are $5.00 each. The Church is located at 12753 New Britton Hwy. East Whiteville. Please join us!

The Columbus County Greater Relay For Life Royalty is holding a car wash on Saturday, April 10th from 10am to 1pm at the Magnolia Gardn Shop 200 East Sam Potts Hwy, Lake Waccamaw. The cost is $10.00 for cars and $15.00 for trucks. They will also have bake sale items and hot dogs for sale. So come have your vehicle cleaned and get a bite to eat! All donations will benefit the American Cancer Society.

Columbus Regional Healthcare is sponsoring it's Annual Relay Ride For Life on Saturday, April 10th. Registration opens at 10am. Registration includes an event t-shirt, door prizes and a meal at the conclusion of the ride. The weather is perfect....come out and show your support!

WHAT CANCER CAN'T DO

2010-02-28T15:29:00.001-05:00

Cancer cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith.
It cannot eat away peace.
It cannot destroy confidence.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot shut our memories.
It cannot silence courage.
It cannot invade the soul.
It cannot reduce eternal life.
It cannot quench the spirit.
It cannot lesson the power of GOD.
- Authur Unknown -

Let's Fight the Fight

2010-02-22T06:52:00.004-05:00

Calling all Relayers and Relay For Life Supporters! You've heard the slogan...Uncle Sam Wants You!...well, this is our very own version....and we mean it with all our heart! Columbus County Relay For Life Wants You!...and Needs You! Please register and join us this year at Southeastern Community College for your very own rewarding experience. Team camaraderie and competitions abound among Relayers during this 24 hour event to raise money and awareness in the fight against Cancer! You'll want to be apart of this ever growing event and there are plenty of opportunities to join in from the Team spirit and campsite decorations to the different foods, the Ms. Relay pageant and the WoMANless pageant! It won't be Uncle Sam that's pointing his finger at you to get your attention, but the many family, friends and neighbors that are fighting their very own battle...right here....right now! Visit the RELAY LINKS menu in the column on the right, click on Columbus County Relay For Life link and it will take you to our Counties homepage! Register a team, yourself, and your family....make plans to attend and come out to help us Fight the Fight!

The Next Relay For Life Meeting

2010-02-05T16:59:00.002-05:00

The next Columbus County RELAY FOR LIFE Meeting will be held on Monday February 8th, 2010. Committee Members should meet at the Beth Israel Synagogue at 6:30pm and the Team Captains and/or Co-Captains should meet at the Beth Israel Synagogue at 7:30pm. If your interested in joining us for this years event as a returning or new team, or just want more information, join us at 7:30pm to find out all about our RELAY!

Rose Bush fundraiser idea

2010-01-18T18:49:00.004-05:00

Rose Bushes – Living Memorial

I ran across this fundraising idea one day and thought maybe one of our local teams could or would benefit from their success story. It came from the chair person for the Vandalia-Butler Relay For Life in Ohio and she also served as the team captain for the Seasons Of Hope team. She explained that they've held a very successful living memorial rose bush sale the past two years and raised at least $500 both years! Here's what they do:

They coordinate buying the rose bushes from a local nursery at their cost. They had been able to buy knock-out rose bushes for $11 a piece from the nursery; then sell them for $22. They sell the roses as a living memorial for people that have been lost to cancer or those battling cancer. They usually take pre-orders for the rose bushes, but try to have a few available for purchase at the event. They purchase 3" wide purple silk ribbon by the roll, cut it into 24" sections and using a paint pen write "In memory of" or "In Honor Of" and the persons name.....(very similar to the luminaries). Draping the ribbons across the rose bushes and displaying the rose bushes at the event. They are a huge hit every year! Since their Relay For Life is around Mother's Day, they also sell a lot of bushes as Mother's Day gifts as well.

I'm hoping that someone finds this helpful and shares it with their team! You could always shake things up a bit and do them for Valentines Day instead! Happy fundraising!

WoMANless Pageant Program Ads For Sale

2010-01-15T06:51:00.003-05:00

Attention all business owners, relayers and families of woMANless pageant contestants. You can show your support for a woMANless contestant by purchasing an Ad in the pageant program. The Ads are priced as follows:

1/8 page--------------------------------$25.00

1/4 page--------------------------------$50.00

3/4 page--------------------------------$75.00

1 full page-----------------------------$100.00

You can wish all of the pageant contestants well , just one individual contestant, or maybe your teams representative. Programs will be available at the live event on Friday, April 9th at the SCC Auditorium. To purchase your Ad contact Cyndee Brown 840-3107, Mitzi Ward 234-1742, or Linda Mintz 642-4984. Remember to make your checks payable to the American Cancer Society.

Calling all woMANless contestants

2010-01-14T07:34:00.004-05:00

Okay...so it's another year and another chance to raise money for the American Cancer Society during our Annual RELAY FOR LIFE! What can you do? Need an idea or two? One of the most memorable fundraisers year after year is our woMANless beauty pageant. We are in the process of signing up contestants for this years pageant, which promises to be the biggest and best one yet! Teams are encouraged to enter a contestant of their own in the pageant and we will also take entries for our community that may want to participate and are not associated with a team. To sign up as a contestant or as visiting "queen" from another pageant just contact Cyndee Brown 840-3107, Mitzi Ward 234-1742 or Linda Mintz 642-4984 for more information or an entry form. More ideas to follow....

2010 RELAY FOR LIFE KICK-OFF

2010-01-11T07:23:00.002-05:00

COME JOIN THE US FOR
THE 2010 RELAY FOR LIFE KICKOFF

@ SOUTHEASTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ROOM T101 AT 6:30PM

FOOD......FUN......FELLOWSHIP AND MORE! IF YOUR GOING TO BE A RETURNING TEAM OF START A NEW TEAM FOR 2010 WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOU THERE. TEAM CAPTAINS PICK UP YOUR PACKET TONIGHT AND REGISTER FOR A FREE PRIZE! ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE COLUMBUS COUNTY 2010 RELAY FOR LIFE IS WELCOME TO JOIN US. SEE YOU THERE!

Meet Your 2010 Relay For Life Committee

2010-01-06T18:48:00.002-05:00

I think as we get started with the 2010 Relay For Life of Columbus County we should take a minute or two and introduce you to the Committee that works so hard to make our Relay run smoothly and effortlessly so that everyone has a good time and remains safe while helping out this worthy cause.

Penny Grainger - Event Chair/Website Maintenance
Cyndee Brown - Co-Chair
Frances Queen - Co-Chair
Eric Heydorn - ACS Community Manager
Sally Mann - Accounting Chair
Brenda Tedder - Adorable Baby Contest Chair/Meeting Secretary/Reminder Correspondence & Info Chair
Colby Byrd - Child Honorary Chair
Jeff Zima & Angela Smith - Children's Onsite Activities
Misty Greene - Corporate Sponsor Chair
Jennifer Littles - Corporate Committee Member
Jeff Williams, Debbie Wilson & Eden Wilson - Entertainment/Event MC's
Radene Caison - Greater Ms. Relay Pageant Chair
Cassie Ward & Christy Cartrette - Greater Ms. Relay Pageant Committee
Glenda Uebel - Hospitality Chair
Kristi Greene - Kid's Walk Chair/School Fundraising Committee
Jimmy Grainger - Logistics Chair
Chad Eason & Michael Greene - Logistics Committee
Caroline Wilson - Look Good Feel Better Coordinator
Hope Byrd - Luminaria Chair
Lettie Sharpe & Patches McQueen - Luminaria Committee
Dr. Kathy Matlock - Mission/Advocacy Chair
Amanda Formyduval - Newsletter Chair
Linda Mintz - Online Registration/Relay Blog
Mildred Efird - Publicity & Marketing
Joe Nealon - Security
Rhonda Creech - Survivor Chair
Jeanette Inman, Cindy Batten, Donna Turbeville & Pat Ray - Survivor Committee
Mary Jane Sessions - Survivor Telephone Contact
Chauntel Eason - Team Captain Telephone Contact Chair
Terry Mann - Team Development/Retention/Recruitment
Cyndee Brown, Mitzi Ward & Linda Mintz - Womanless Pageant Committee
Russell Smith - Fall Special Events

When you see these folks out in the community getting things going and asking for your assistance, give them a hand....show your support and lets make the 2010 Relay For Life the best yet!

Gearing Up For Another Year!

2009-12-08T06:46:00.002-05:00

Hello all you Relayers and Relay For Life Supporters! We're getting ready to gear up for another great Relay For Life in Columbus County. Teams are forming and fundraisers are beginning everywhere you look. Check out the News Reporter for the latest news on Relay so you can stay on top of things and support the teams as they get ready to Relay! Here are the Fund Raisers that I know about so far:

Cornerstone FWB Church Youth League is selling Fight Like a Girl t-shirts...they are a bright pink with white lettering and the ribbon is in zebra print. The cost is $12.00 each. Contact Tammy @ (910)642-5783

There is a Cookbook in the works that will be for sale during the Relay this year. It promises to be chocked full of yummy recipes that are favorites of our friends, family and neighbors right here in Columbus County. The recipes submitted can be accompanied by a few words about the recipe and what makes it "special" to you, maybe it's a special family memory, or a favorite recipe of a Cancer Survivor you know, whatever makes it special...we want to hear from you. Email Cyndee @ bquirkee2@yahoo.com

Lake Waccamaw United Methodist Church will hold it's annual Gift Wrapping fundraiser on Saturday December 19th from 8am until 3pm. You can have your gifts wrapped, pick up breakfast or have lunch for a donation too. Please remember to bring your gifts boxed and tagged to help them serve you better.

All monies raised go to our RELAY FOR LIFE of Columbus County! So get out there and show your support of these teams and watch for upcoming blogs of more fundraisers and news of Relay Events for 2010!

Only the beginning

2009-04-25T16:50:00.002-04:00

I guess we all breathe a sigh of relief when we complete another year of our counties RELAY FOR LIFE event. But I'm here to tell you that it's not the end...the "live" event may be over, but teams have until July 1st to turn in any monies raised toward this years event goal. That's right....if you still have fund raisers going on..planned or in the works...the money your raise from them will still count toward this years money. Anytime after that any money you raise will go towards next years goal...RELAY is not a one time a year event...it is ongoing and never-ending..just like cancer and the battle against it. If you missed this years event it is never too early to start thinking ahead and fund raising for next year! On behalf of the 2009 RELAY FOR LIFE committee we would like to Thank You for another successful "LIVE" event...and all of the behind the scenes hard work that each of you have put forth to make the event the success that it was! Watch for more updates and event news in the coming days and weeks ahead! And again...THANK YOU for all of your hard work and dedication!!!!!

RELAY DAY HAS ARRIVED!

2009-04-24T06:54:00.003-04:00

It's RELAY DAY in Columbus County!!!!! I want to invite everyone to come out to Southeastern Community College today for our annual event! The big kick-off is this evening and you can actually feel the excitement building....all day for that special time. Come see if you can pick the sky diver out of the sky and follow him to the ground....see the sights....smell the smells....and walk the walk! We'll SEE you there!!!!!

RELAY REMINDERS

2009-04-21T21:47:00.003-04:00

*RELAY For Life is a family-friendly activity.

*RELAY For Life is alcohol-free and tobacco-free.

*What To Bring to RELAY

Money for on-site fundraisers
A good book
A great attitude
A rested body
A smile
Blanket
Camera and film
Cooler with refreshments
Donations
Extra pair of shoes
Extra socks
Flashlight(s)
Hat or visor
Lantern
Lawn chairs
Luminaria forms
Magazines
Pillow
Sign promoting your team
Sleeping bag
Snacks
Sun Shade
Sunglasses
Sunscreen and bug spray
Tent
Tent decorations
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Warm clothes (for night)
Water bottle

INVITE A SURVIVOR

2009-04-20T06:14:00.002-04:00

If you know of any Cancer Survivors that you think might not be aware of our RELAY then take a minute or two and tell them about it and invite them to come out on Friday and Saturday. Relay For Life is about raising awareness of cancer in the community, and raising money for the American Cancer Society. We know we are making progress in the fight against cancer by the number of cancer survivors who are alive today. There are an estimated nine million cancer survivors in the United States. We honor them at our Relay For Life. These heroes are invited to come and walk the Survivor’s Lap on Friday evening at 6:00 pm and the second Survivor's Lap on Saturday at 11:00 am. Invite all the cancer survivors you know to experience Relay For Life. Just tell them to find the Survivors booth under the big white tent next to the stage!

Light Up The Night

2009-04-17T20:39:00.003-04:00

I'd like to take a minute to invite you to visit the COLUMBUS COUNTY RELAY FOR LIFE website and purchase a luminary in honor of or in memory of someone you know that is a cancer survivor or has lost the battle against cancer. This year, for the first time, you can also purchase luminaries honoring the Caregivers of our cancer survivors past and present, anyone that has assisted the the cancer patient. And during the luminary ceremony at our RELAY on Friday night, April 24th, 2009 we will light up the night, the track and our hearts with the luminaries that flicker and glow through the night as we walk the track. Just click on the link in the column to the right and it will take you there! Thank You for your continued support of our RELAY. I'll see you at RELAY!

24 Hours of RELAY

2009-04-17T15:36:00.005-04:00

It's getting closer now...can you feel the excitement in the air? It's almost RELAY weekend in Columbus County!!!!! There is so much to see and do at RELAY and always....and I do mean always....something for everyone of all ages! When 12 noon rolls around on Friday and the walkers take to the track...the race is on. The music begins to play...thanks to our wonderful entertainment committee members...and everyone is busy decorating their campsites for the judging that will come later that evening. The folks who will be preparing some mighty fine vittles, to be purchased for a donation to RELAY and for the judges palates in that competition, begin to get busy as the afternoon progresses and soon the air is full of wonderful aromas. The different teams gear up and get their banners ready for the opening ceremony and for the judges eyes. The excitement begins to build as they practice and show their team spirit at their individual campsites, which is also part of the judging that takes place. As the afternoon progresses and folks get off of work the crowd starts to grow and before you know it, it's time for the opening ceremony. It's always held in the evening so that the working community can come out and join us for the excitement of it all. The past few years we have been really lucky to have had the talented team of Reynold Hester flying his plane above as Bob Stephens sky dives with a trail of purple smoke following him as his makes his way to the center of the track to kick off the ceremonies. The official kick-off begins with a Survivor Lap....and if you have never witnessed one up close and personal like...you need to come out and join us this year! We are so very proud of our Survivors! They come form all walks of life as they make their way around the track to the cheers and applause of the crowd they are united by the one thing that has brought us all together for this 24 hour event. We celebrate them and their struggle with cancer. We celebrate the victory of another year with them in our lives. We celebrate the family members that have taken care of them...the caregivers...with a special lap to honor them for their hard work and support. We celebrate the teams that have come together to show their support in their own special way, for their families, friends, and employees that have battled with cancer. We celebrate the committee members that put together RELAY...and all their hard work behind the scenes that makes RELAY what it is today. WE CELEBRATE LIFE! When it's just about dark the lights of all of the luminaries are lit around the track and we honor our family, friends and loved ones that have already lost their battle with cancer, when we have our luminary ceremony. This year we will also honor our Caregivers, all of the hard working souls that support the cancer patients in any way, shape, or form that they possibly can, with luminaries of their own. After the opening ceremony the entertainment continues on center stage with some of the best talent you'll ever see. We have some wonderful musicians, singers and dancers in our county and they show you what they have as they entertain the track walkers into the night. There is also a woman less beauty pageant that has become a crowd favorite over the past few years. With all the entertainment going on all night long, there are games and special laps, like a pajama lap, sunglass lap, funny hat lap...and many others to keep Relayers on their toes! Saturday finds our Relayers walking the track and looking forward to the beginning of another day...out of the darkness and into the dawn....another day of survival and celebration. The children enjoy the morning with huge bouncy houses, slides and games as they take their turns around the track to show their support. The morning passes by so quickly and before you know it, it's time for the closing ceremony and the final Survivor lap around the track. Before the campsites are even broken down, teams are already talking about next years event and how it will be even bigger and better. We invite you to join us....come out and see what the fuss is all about. Show your support for the Columbus County RELAY FOR LIFE by attending this years event. Your heart will be touched in a way you can't even imagine. I'll be there.....will you?

Meet the RELAY Challenge

2009-04-11T07:40:00.005-04:00

I know that everyone has different levels of excitement, however, as our RELAY gets nearer I get more and more excited! It seems that every weekend there is a fund raiser for our counties RELAY...be it a bake sale, yard sale, spaghetti or steak dinner or even a local business donating 15 or 20% of their daily sales to RELAY for certain items or even for the entire days work! There are so many creative people in our community and I really cannot begin to name all of the ways they can come up with to help support the RELAY. In these difficult economic times we especially need their support and the support of our entire county. Check out THE NEWS REPORTER every week and challenge yourself to do what you can....visit a yard sale...buy some goodies at the bake sale.....enjoy a home cooked meal and show your support! We appreciate all that you do to show your support for RELAY....in any way, shape, or form. Thanks so very much....See YOU at RELAY!!!!!

Relay Rules

2009-04-09T06:06:00.003-04:00

We all know that there are rules we have to follow everywhere we go in our day to day lives so it should come as no surprise to anyone that there are also rules at our RELAY. These rules are for the safety of everyone at RELAY and we ask that you abide by them and help us keep our RELAYERS, Cancer Survivors, Caregivers and our community members safe while they attend our celebration.

NO Generators
NO Pets
NO Alcoholic beverages
NO Smoking
NO Heeleys, Skateboards or Roller Skates
NO Driving on the track after 12pm on Friday or before 12pm on Saturday

Please follow these simple rules during RELAY...and remember the most important rule of RELAY.....HAVE LOTS OF FUN!!!!! See you there!

What Cancer Can't Do

2009-04-07T05:46:00.001-04:00

A FUND RAISING TOOL

2009-02-24T07:14:00.003-05:00

As you get busy with your Relay For Life Team planning your site and fund raising activities, you'll no doubt be looking for some new ways to bring to your communities. There is one very important online tool that is available to you. When you sign up for Relay For Life online you can create your own page. You might share past experiences, the reason you Relay, or what your plans for the 2009 Relay are...the thing is....you can share anything you want...it's your page! Then you send emails to your friends and family using the online tool provided and if your worried about what to write...don't...there are sample emails there to help you with the process in creating your own....or just fill in the blanks. The site tracks the progress and lets you send Thank You emails in response! Send your request to everyone you know....remember cancer touches everyone. This online tool is available to each member who registers for Relay and I've used it with some very good results. So what are you waiting for?...it's free...and it's available to you....so why not give it a try? Are you ready to try a new way to fund raise? Let's RELAY!

RELAY FUN!

2009-02-16T05:47:00.003-05:00

For each and everyone of us that participate in our Counties RELAY each year, the closer the event gets, the more excited we get. There are deadlines for participants to meet, such as team registrations and Corporate Sponsors. The teams are busy thinking of a theme for their campsite in order to participate in the campsite awards available each year...Best campsite and Best food to name a few. Then there is the Womanless Miss Relay Pageant, a fast growing favorite contest of everyone at RELAY. Each team is allowed to enter a male contestant, or two, to strut their stuff on the stage for 2 minutes during the RELAY itself. This year there will be a panel of judges that will make up a portion of the contestants points....their talent might be lip syncing, twirling a baton, or magic...but the crowd will go wild for their favorite...ummm gal! The contestants are also raising money in their communities for the American Cancer Society and it is factored in to their points as well. This year there will be a twist with a silent auction and bidders being able to go on a "date" with the winning contestant after the contest. They will spend a little quality time together, maybe share a hot dog....and I'm sure, many photo ops! I'll have to say that I know how hard the teams work to find a contestant and groom him to be Miss Relay so I cannot pick a favorite, all the contestants are all "beautiful" to me. I hope that you'll come out and join us this year and pick your own favorite! See you at RELAY!

THE CANCER BATTLE

2009-02-04T19:25:00.003-05:00

I'm urging you all to take up the fight against cancer and I thought that maybe I need to give you a little background information about cancer. The American Cancer Society defines it this way...."Cancer develops when cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control. Although there are many kinds of cancer, they all start because of out-of-control growth of abnormal cells." The article goes on to tell us that we all have normal cells that grow, divide and die, but as we become adults this process slows and the cells divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells or maybe to repair injuries. Cancer cells, on the other hand, continue to grow and divide rapidly and instead of dying they can outlive our normal cells and continue to form their abnormal cells.
They initially develop due to damage to out DNA. DNA is in every cell and directs it to grow and divide. You can inherit damaged DNA, which explains the inherited cancers, but you can also damage your DNA from exposure to something that is in the environment...like smoking, for instance. Cancer usually forms some sort of tumor but there are cancers, like leukemia, that do not form tumors but instead these cells invade the blood and blood forming organs that circulate our blood through out body and tissues where they in turn grow. Some cancers may travel to other parts of the body where they grow and replace healthy normal tissue. This is what they refer to as metastasis and it does not matter where it spreads to it is always named from the part of the body where it first began. Not all tumors are cancerous...they can be benign (non-cancerous) tumors that do not spread (metastasize) to other parts of our body. They are rarely life threatening. So, as you can see, different types of cancer act or behave differently. They also grow at different speeds and react to different treatments. Each treatment is individualized for the type of cancer that it is fighting. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in our Country. There are millions of people that are living with cancer or that have had cancer. The sooner a cancer is discovered and the treatment gets underway...the better survival rate for the survivor. Help us....help them. Come out to the Columbus County Relay For Life and lend your support in the battle against cancer! I sure hope to see you there!

GET A TEAM TOGETHER!

2009-01-27T18:09:00.004-05:00

Time to get busy and get your team together for RELAY! If you haven't already contacted a couple of your nearest and dearest friends, your Sunday School class, your Cheerleading buddies, the baseball team, your brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins...then now is the time! It only takes a few minutes to register your team online and then your journey to RELAY begins! You'll plan your campsite and activities to hold during RELAY and maybe even register a contestant for the Womanless Ms. RELAY pageant! You'll plan fund raising events leading up to RELAY and see them through to raise money and awareness about cancer! There is so much you can do and we invite you to get together with some family and friends and make this the best RELAY ever! We need our support this year more than ever before. We can't stop fighting this battle...because cancer won't stop until we find a cure! Make plans now to join us at RELAY.....you'll be glad you did. (for more information contact Terry Mann at 642-2832 or 642-5029)

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE COMMITTEE

2009-01-25T18:28:00.004-05:00

Your 2009 Columbus County RELAY FOR LIFE Committee members are folks from all walks of life that you may or may not know on a first name basis. I thought that I should introduce them to you so you would know who to contact with any questions. So here's a list of who they are and what committee(s) they are working on for the 2009 event!

Penny Grainger - Event Chair/Website Maintenance
Frances Queen - Event Co-Chair/School Fundraising Committee/Team
Captain Telephone Contact Chair/2009 Fall Special Event
Eric Heydorn - American Cancer Society Community Manager
Sally Mann - Accounting Chair
Donna McPherson - Adorable Child Contest Chair
Brenda Tedder - Adorable Child Contest Co-Chair
& Reminder Correspondence/Information Chair
Colby Byrd - Child Honorary Chair
Jeff Zima - Children's On-site Activities
Angela Smith - Children's On-site Activities
Linda Fields - Church Liason
Misty Greene - Corporate Sponsor Chair
Donna Turbeville - Corporate Committee
Chauntel Eason - Corporate Committee
Caroline Wilson - Corporate Committee
Jeff Williams - Entertainment/MC
Debbie Wilson - Entertainment/MC
Eden Wilson - Entertainment/MC
Cassie Ward - Greater Ms. Relay Pageant Chair & Survivor Committee
Christy Cartrette - Greater Ms. Relay Pageant Chair
Glenda Uebel - Hospitality/Newsletter
Kristi Greene - Kid's Walk Chair & School Fundraising Committee
Jimmy Grainger - Logistics Chair
Chad Eason - Logistics Committee
Michael Greene - Logistics Committee/Womanless Pageant Committee
Hope Byrd - Luminaria Chair
Lettie Sharpe - Luminaria Committee
Patches McQueen - Luminaria Committee
Linda Mintz - On-line Registration/RFL Blog
Ron Godfrey - School Fundraising Chair
Joe Nealon - Security
James Queen - Security
Melody Spivey - Support
Rhonda Creech - Survivor Chair
Jackie Gore - Survivor Committee
Teresa Clifton - Survivor Committee
Cindy Batten - Survivor Committee
Mary Jane Sessions - Survivor Telephone Contacts
Terry Mann - Team Development/Retention/Recruitment
Cyndee Brown - Womanless Pageant Committee
Raydean Locklear - Womanless Pageant Committee
Russell Smith - 2009 Special Event Committee

Do you see someone that you know listed? It takes a lot of people to make our event successful and as our event has grown over the years so does our committee. If you happen to see one of our Committee Members out and about in your day to day activity, Thank them for taking up the fight against cancer. If you, would like to volunteer and help make this event the best yet, need more information on how to get a team together for Relay, want to make a donation, sign up to be a Corporate Sponsor, or just want more information about the event itself, visit our website at www.relayforlife.org/columbus and help us..help others!

CATCH THE EXCITEMENT

2009-01-23T21:10:00.003-05:00

Let me start by saying....this has been some week! We rarely ever see snow here in Columbus County, what...maybe once in every 10 years or so? This was the year.....the year for snow, the year for our Presidential Inauguration of our 44th President, who happens to be the first African American President ever, and the year of our very first Relay For Life Blog! Some of these things are important to some people...others maybe not so important...but each of them are worth being excited about! I am excited....excited for the 25th Anniversary of Relay!!!!! If your not excited about one or more of these things...then you need to be...come catch the excitement of RELAY!

ONE RELAY EXPERIENCE

2009-01-18T08:07:00.003-05:00

I want to share some of my previous RELAY experiences with you as we approach the 2009 RELAY and one of my absolute favorite sights and experiences has to be the hot air balloons. As you can see in one of the pictures on the blog we were lucky enough to have them at our RELAY. For a small donation to the American Cancer Society you could go up in them, just a short distance, on what was called a tethered ride. (This means you were on a leash....sort of.) It was completely safe and well supervised by the balloon owners and their assistants. During the night there were no rides being offered, mostly due to visibility being poor, if I remember correctly, but the owners did light up the night sky with the colorful balloons. They were simply beautiful. I had wanted to go up, fear of heights and all, but was so busy at the Committee tent I never found the time on Friday. So first thing Saturday morning I took off across the track and headed for the balloons! When I got there I anxiously waited my turn and before you know it....it had arrived! I was assisted into the balloon along with two other passengers and the balloon operator and off we went. I looked over the side, well more like out...straight out...not down! I snapped picture after picture of the RELAY track and the early morning activities that were going on. The ride was fun and I wasn't as scared as I thought I'd be, maybe because I knew we were tethered and I was safe. Sometime after RELAY, when I downloaded my pictures there were none of the night pictures of the balloons or the pictures from up above RELAY. My battery must have gone dead and I was snapping away.....but no pictures. I know that this hasn't happened to any of you...right? The ride was a wonderful experience, a learning experience and one I'll never forget. To me the hot air balloons represent the cancer survivors because no matter who they are, the color of their skin, where they are from, day or night...they are beautiful. And whether or not I have a picture of them or not, I am so thankful for each day we have them here to take up the fight against cancer. Come to RELAY....Come to see and hear the sights and sounds....Come to help us take up the fight! You'll be glad you did.

CELEBRATE. REMEMBER. FIGHT BACK.

2009-01-16T22:26:00.002-05:00

During RELAY, everyone has the opportunity to do three things....they can CELEBRATE. REMEMBER. FIGHT BACK. We may choose to CELEBRATE the lives of those that have battled cancer and the survivors that inspire us and others to keep up the fight. We may choose to REMEMBER those have battled and lost to the disease. During the RELAY we get a chance to walk together with others that have lost loved ones and together we grieve and in that grief we find a way to heal. And last, but not least, we may choose to FIGHT BACK against the disease and because we RELAY we show our commitment to each other to take up the fight against cancer and we know that one day we'll help put an end to cancer forever. The American Cancer Society has been uniting communities through RELAY FOR LIFE for 25 years now and have proved they are committed to each and every one of us in the fight against cancer. Won't you take up the fight? Come out and join us for the 25th Anniversary of RELAY and bring your family and friends along for one of the best fun filled events this county hosts each year!

RELAY QUICK FACTS

2009-01-15T22:09:00.002-05:00

I was doing some normal Relay research and came across some "Quick Facts" that I thought I should share with you, so here goes ......

In 1985 Dr. Gordy Klatt ran around a track in Tacoma, Washington for a consecutive 24 hour period in order to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Relay For Life is now a world wide movement in which 19 countries outside of the US participate by holding events.

Almost 9,000 communities will host a Relay For Life event in 2009!

In 2008, more than 3.5 million people participated in a Relay For Life event and more than 500,000 cancer survivors walked in their communities opening survivor lap.

Over $3 billion has been raised for the American Cancer Society in the fight against cancer from 1985 up to now.

Relay For Life is the largest nonprofit fund raising event in the world.

As we celebrate Relay's 25th Anniversary I wanted to bring you a little back ground, just in case it's your first experience with Relay. Maybe I have been able to share something you didn't know about Relay or maybe it has served a reminder for you, either way I hope to share other tidbits with you along with some personal ideas, sights and sounds of Relay! I was one of the 3.5 million participants in Relay last year .....come join me and lets make 2009 the best yet!

THE KEY TO RELAY

2009-01-14T19:45:00.003-05:00

Okay...thought I needed to put all my cards on the table, so to speak, and let you in on the key reason I Relay. The reason I Relay....is because I LOVE RELAY! Not only do I get to spend some time with some really great friends I've made through the committee over the years....I get to spend time with a lot of new friends that I've made in our community that come out each year to show their support. They don't just support the RELAY but their very own loved ones that are living and surviving each day and to honor their friends and family that have fought and lost their battles with this dreaded disease. I have lots of reasons to support RELAY...my husband, my sister, my father, and my aunt are all Cancer Survivors. I've lost my grandmother to Cancer, not to mention my mother in law, who I never got a chance to meet, and several other family members...cousins, and great-aunts to name a few. During the Kick-off event Monday night the question came up, "How many of you have family members that are living with or have died from Cancer?" Let me tell you...I was shocked to see that only five or so hands did NOT go up! That's right...it affects each of us, one way or the other. I'd almost be willing to bet, if I were the betting kind, that your sitting there reading this and thinking...who do I know?...or how many friends have I lost?...how many family members?

Let me tell you where I'm going with this....YOU know someone that is living with this disease...right now. You may not know who it is...but you do know someone, so when you read about the numerous bake sales, the yard sales, the steak or barb-b-que plate sales, all held to raise money for RELAY, go out and support them. Reach deep down and find those crumpled dollars in your pocket, raid the piggy banks and the coin purses....and hey, while your at it, we like those nicely arranged greenbacks in your billfold too! BTW...we do accept checks...just make them out to The American Cancer Society.

YOU can make a difference in the lives of those you love and the lives of those perfect strangers you don't even know have Cancer. YOU are the key to RELAY and to the success of RELAY for Columbus County. There is a slogan about RELAY that hits home for me....."It's about a Community, that takes up the fight!" We are that Community. I hope that you'll make plans to attend this years event...mark your calendars! I'll be there...will you?

RELAY-ITIS

2009-01-13T21:27:00.005-05:00

Okay, so it's only day two of the new blog and I spent the morning thinking what I could do to make this years Relay an even bigger success than last year?

I forwarded the link to Mark Gilchrist, from The News Reporter, so that he could see about getting a link set up on their website for us, which he did! Thank You Mark!!!!!

I also forwarded the link to Penny Grainger, the Columbus County Relay for Life Event Chair, so that she could give me her honest opinion and let me know what it needs.....she has a great heart and a good eye for details. Thank You Penny!!!!!

I got busy and took a couple of the collection cans for donations to an acquaintance who, with her bosses permission, will put them on the counters to collect a few coins for the American Cancer Society! Thank You Ashley!!!!!

All in all...it's been a pretty good day as I rushed home to add to the blog. As you can see there in now a poll, some easy to use links that you might find helpful, and a picture of our Cancer Survivors during their walk! I hope you like what you see and will return often! I really looked forward to sharing my Relay-itis with you....and watch out.....it's contagious!

ARE YOU READY TO RELAY?

2009-01-12T22:27:00.002-05:00

I wanted to take just a minute to introduce myself to you and see if there is anything, in particular, that you'd like to see and hear about for the Columbus County 2009 Relay For Life event. First off I need to tell you that I've never started my own blog before, but I have responded to a few. I'm one of many, in this county, that volunteer year after year to take up the fight against cancer. I believe that one day we will find a cure, and I believe that one day is just around the corner! We are making strides each and every day toward that goal and we're doing it with the help of all the great friends and neighbors right here at home!

I attended the "Relay For Life Kick-Off" tonight at Southeastern Community College and while there were lots of faces that I remembered seeing over the past few years, there were a few new ones there too. We shared some good food, heard a few words about our Honorary Child Chair Colby Byrd from his mother Hope, reminisced about the 2008 Relay through a picture show, and learned a few new things about what is in store for the 25th Anniversary of Relay. Speaking of faces.....we need new faces...we need old faces....we need your support! We need to know what you'd like to see at Relay? Is there a special fund raising event idea that you have? Do you know of any entertainers that might like to perform? Are you a new team to Relay? Do you need help with Registration? Do you want information on how to be a Corporate Sponsor? Do you know of any Cancer Survivors that might not know about Relay or participate in the Survivors special ceremony during Relay? If you have questions or comments, we want to hear form you.

So let me ask you Columbus County.........Are YOU ready to Relay? Come out and show your support for the Columbus County Relay this year on April 24th and 25th at Southeastern Community College.