The 2014 Greene County Relay for Life will have a new format and a new look. This year’s Relay, slated for April 26 at the Greene County Community Center, will feature a 5K “Color Out Cancer” run/walk, along with the traditional laps on the Community Center’s walking track.
Color Out Cancer runners and walkers will follow the route used for the Bell Tower Festival’s Ding Dong Dash, along the south side of the courthouse square and then through residential neighborhoods. Along the way, participants will be spattered with non-toxic colors at seven different locations, with each color representing a different type of cancer.
“We wanted to try some new things this year, and this type of run has been popular other places. We hope seasoned runners, first-timers, and families will join the fun,” said Relay for Life chair Peg Raney.
Libby Towers, Jefferson park and recreation assistant director, is coordinating registration for Color Out Cancer through the Community Center. More information is available there, or by emailing parkrec@netins.net.
Another new feature for the 2014 Relay for Life is that all team registration will be completed online. Teams and participants can visit www.relayforlife.org/greenecountyia to complete the user friendly registration. Registrations must be completed by March 7 to guarantee Relay T-shirts for participants.
Additionally, information is available on Facebook on the Relay for Life of Greene County Iowa page. Links to the registration site and to other resources of the American Cancer Society are posted there.
The Relay for Life is earlier in the day this year. Registration and the silent auction will begin at 9:30 am. The reception and photo for survivors is tentatively scheduled for 9:45, with an outdoor survivor walk at 10:20. The Color Out Cancer run/walk will begin at 10:30. Activities are planned for the Community Center, with a welcoming ceremony at 11:30. The serving line of a barbecue luncheon will also open at 11:30. Entertainment will follow the ceremony until 1:30 pm. The silent auction will end at 1:30, followed by a luminaria ceremony at 1:45. The Relay for Life will conclude at 2:30 pm.
“The best parts of the Relay will still be there: the survivor walk, the silent auction, the barbecue, the luminaria. We’re hoping to offer something for everyone, and at a time of day that might be easier for more people to join the event,” Raney said.
More information will be available in the weeks ahead. Visit the website or Facebook page listed above, or contact chair Raney at wmraney@netins.net
The American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Greene County is the major fundraiser for the ACS in the county. The event typically raises approximately $60,000 for ACS-sponsored research, education, advocacy and patient/caregiver services. As area residents benefit from those ACS activities, the funds raised are returned to the community.
