Annual Relay for Life is this Saturday

By Michael Brooks and Telishia Malone

Staff Writers

    Jackson County’s 16th Annual Relay for Life is Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Brackenridge Main Event Center. Relay for Life is the signature fundraising event for the American Cancer Society.

    Relay is a team fundraising event where team members take turns walking around a track or designated path. Each event is 6-24 hours in length and each team is asked to have a member on the track at all times to signify that cancer never sleeps. Cancer patients don't stop because they're tired, and for one night, neither do we.

    The event kicks off at 7 p.m. with an opening ceremony followed by the Survivor/Caregiver’s walk. A Luminaria Ceremony is next and it is a powerful message of how many people are touched by cancer. Each light represents a life  a life taken by cancer, a survivor of cancer or support of a person still fighting the disease.

    When not walking, participants visit team campsites to enjoy games, activities, and entertainment.

    The closing ceremony is at 2:55 a.m.

    This year there are 12 teams participating, but anyone is welcome to come walk a bit to show support for the cause.

    Each year, three Jackson County residents who have fought or are fighting cancer are recognized as honorees for the Relay event. The Relay is also held in memory of three others who lost their lives to cancer.

    This year’s honorees are Henry Gonzales, Ken McNeely, and Annette Spurlin and the Relay is held in memory of Adam Garcia, Wesley Hendrey, and Carolyn Powell.

*For the articles about each individual, buy a Jackson County Herald Tribune newspaper or purchase an online subscription.