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Relay For Life Team
One person can make a difference. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life, began in Tacoma, Washington, in 1985. Dr. Gordy Klatt spent 24 hours circling the University of Puget Sound Baker Stadium traveling more than 83 miles in an effort to help raise money for the fight against cancer. During the night more than 300 friends, family, and patients watched as he ran/walked the track. At the close of the event Dr. Klatt had raised $27,000 to fight cancer.
During that 24-hours, Dr. Klatt's thought about how others could take part in such an event. In 1986 his vision of a 24-hour team relay event became at reality at the historical Stadium Bowl. The event raised $33,000 for the fight against cancer. The spirit of this first event has spread around the world with Relays operating or planned in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Venezuela and even Williams County Ohio.
The 12th Williams County American Cancer Society Relay For Life theme was 'Each Decade Brings Us Closer To A Cure" The 2007 event was held at the Williams County Fairgrounds in Montpelier, Ohio, USA. Bard's decade theme selection was 'Roaring For A Cure 1920's Style'. With gangster hats and shades, feather boas, and a lot of sparkles and glitter the mood was set at the Bard camp. Bard Team members were Teresa Votaw-Team Captain, Jill Barnd, Hope Cogswell, Mandi Crawford, Kris Dulle, Robin Herman, Ruth Ann Johnson, JoAnn Luce, Margo Katchmar, Jeni Leppelmeier, Bill Metz, Chuck Moore, Courtney Perkins, Greta Perkins, Nick Schriner, and Pam Steel. Additional relay team support was given by Ann Bard, Scott Bard, Todd Dierks, Mike Lehman, Troy Leppelmeier, and Bill Steel. Relay Teams arrived on Friday night to stake out their space around the fairground complex and prepared for the 18-hours of walking the track and continued fund raising. Activities throughout the event, like continuous music, Decade theme camp-sites, theme laps, and the high light of this years event was the Miss Relay/Ugliest Women competition. While Bard's 'Trxie Nicole LaRue' did not qualify for an award, it brought many smiles, laughs, and humor to the long evening.
The Bard Relay Team pre-event fund raising efforts throughout the year were 1,400 Relay For Life candy bars, office 'Friday jean days,' 500 Fresh Baked Cinnamon Rolls, 400 Frosted Valentine Cookies, 50 gallons of Pence's world famous carmel corm, Valentine, Easter, Super bowl, Kitchen Theme, and Nikken Wellness gift basket raffles. As as Friday Relay Event Kick Off - 75 chicken dinners were sold at Bard Mfg Co. At the Relay event an additional 75 dinners were served by the Relay Team under the canopy lined with white twinkly Christmas lights.
The major fund raising project for the year was headed up by Kris Dulle and Jill Barnd. The Team quickly organized the production and assembly of 500 Limited Edition Bard Relay For Life Cookbook. Over 200 recipes from Bard employees, Bard reps, and Bard distributors from around the United States were pulled together. Sales were hot with the field deciding the contributor's 'personality' by the number of submissions in each of the sections: main dishes, breakfast, soups/sides/salads, appetizers/snacks, and beverages.
The Bard Relay For Life Team continued to surpassed the 2006 Bronze fund raising level and remained recognized as a Silver level team by raising over $6,600 for the event. At the close of the even, the 12th Wms County Relay for Life was at $117,390.13, with monies still being collected.
Part of the weekend ceremonies was the luminary. At 10:00pm the fair grounds was darkened and all of the candles in honor/memory of those with cancer were lit. A prayer was spoken and the names of those in memory, those battling, and those surviving cancer were read. All those at the event made a lap
At the close of the event the 30 Relay Teams completed one final lap together. A closing prayer was spoken, a poem was read, and everyone released balloons to represent the prayer for those that have passed, those that are battling, and those that have survived cancer.
How can you participate? There are events around the world bringing together people from all walks of life for a common goal - eliminating cancer. No matter who you are, where you are from - you can help.
• Become a Team Captain: While one person can make a difference, the strength of people coming together can make even a bigger difference. Pull together your friends, family, business associates, and even total strangers for a Relay Team.
• Become a Donor/Sponsor: Individuals and Corporations can make monetary contributions, provide Relay support with man power, food, and physical resources.
• Become a Event Volunteer: Relay For Life is a gathering of a community. EVERYONE can participate in the fight against cancer - before, during, and after the Relay. Events take a lot of planning, coordination, and promotion before and during the event. Your manpower and time can contribute to the success of the event - even if for only a few hours.
• Participate in Survivorship Activities: As a cancer survivor you can show your strength and courage to the community that cancer survivorship is real, that progress is being made in the fight against cancer. As an honorary guest, join the 'Survivors Lap' at the beginning of the Relay For Life event.
More information on the Relay For Life events or the fight against cancer is available at the American Cancer Society's web site.
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