Cold, rainy weather changed some small details of the Relay for Life of Greene County Saturday, but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm or camaraderie of the event.
The traditional Survivors Lap to open the Relay was held indoors on the main floor of the Greene County Community Center rather than on the east sidewalk, and the 5K run/walk was brisk laps on the walking track.
Attendance was down a bit from last year, but the preliminary total of funds raised is more. By the end of the day, the 2019 Relay for Life had raised close to $34,000, which is $1,000 more than the one-day total from 2018.
Fifteen teams are registered this year and they’ve turned in $13,025. Organizers know some teams are planning more fundraisers, as funds can be turned in any time until Dec 31. As of Saturday, Team Landon Martin is leading teams in fundraising at $2,934, but they’re only $114 ahead of Home State Bank team.
The AAI/Spalding team received the Team Spirit Award for best exemplifying the spirit of Relay for Life.
The silent auction set another new high total; bidders paid $7,780 for a wide variety of donated items.
Cash sponsorships from 28 businesses and organizations added $9,150 to the total. Another $7,250 in goods and services was provided as in-kind sponsorships. (In-kind sponsorships aren’t included in the final total.)
The remaining money comes from T-shirt sales, luminaria, the community barbecue and other donations. Proceeds from the 5K race have not yet been announced.
During the Relay, Dr Randal Hess of the St Anthony Regional Cancer Center in Carroll spoke briefly about the services offered there and the new $16.5 million, 21,000-square-foot building for which ground was broken earlier this week. According to Hess, having more treatment options available close to home increases the likelihood a prescribed course of treatment will be completed, increasing the likelihood of a positive outcome.
“We’re calling the Relay a success and we’re hopeful that by the time the accounting year ends Dec. 31, we will have exceeded our goal to raise $40,000 for the American Cancer Society,” said event leadership team chair Tori Riley. “We appreciate the people who came to our Relay for Life or made donations to help us raise money for the important work of the American Cancer Society.”
