Monday is the deadline for teams to sign up for Wilkes County's third Annual Relay for Life, and teams all over the county are beginning to raise funds for the May event.

One team, the Washington Police Department, will conduct a Jail & Bail operation as they have in the past.

"If you wish to have someone picked up and jailed," Lt. Theodosia Glenn said, "you may do so for a $25 or more donation. After the donation has been paid, the offender will be picked up by the Washington Police Department in a police vehicle and taken to jail." Advance go-to-jail tickets are available for purchase at the Washington Police Department.

In order for the offender to be released, Glenn said, they must donate twice the amount donated when jailed before they can be released. "Get-out-of-jail-free cards can also be purchased, and are available for a donation of $50 each. Get-out-ofjail free cards cannot be used until the subject had been picked up, transported and jailed."

The Chamber of Commerce team is looking for team members to fill out the Chamber team. "Anyone who'd like to be on a team but doesn't have one can come join us," said Donna Hardy. Call the Chamber at 678-2013 to join.

Team registration closes out Monday, March 27. To be considered registered, team captains must turn in all scannable forms for team members and their $10 registration money. Team members that are cancer survivors don't have to pay the registration fee. The next team captains meeting is April 11. To turn in scannable forms and registration money, contact Carol Jackson at 706-285-2818. Teams can turn in registration money and scannable forms on March 27 from 5-7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Ark.

Organizer Amy Treadwell said that so far, this year's teams are: Little River Methodist Charge, First Baptist Church, Wilkes County Love Connection, Heartfelt Productions, Wills Memorial Hospital, Springfield Baptist Church, Wilkes Health Care, Beta Sigma Phi, Pliant, JUMP, Regions Bank, Washington Wilkes Elementary School, Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce, Twin Oaks Baptist Church, Black Rock Baptist Church, Pompey's Chapel Baptist Church, Clifford's Grove Baptist Church, Washington-Wilkes Primary School, Booker's Chapel Baptist Church, Washington Police Department, Church of the Mediator, Wilkes County Senior Center and Washington-Wilkes High SchoolFCCLA Club.

Team registration is $10 per person and includes a t-shirt. All teams that wish to participate and get a tshirt must be registered by March 27.

Once all these teams and volunteers finish raising funds, however, where do the funds go to? Treadwell said that funds raised go to education, advocacy, research, and service.

The ACS educates the public about cancer with its web site www.cancer.org, which gets over a million hits per year. The toll-free number 1-800-ACS-2345, which gets over a million calls answered per year; free materials for anyone seeking information; healthy eating programs; screening guidelines, and more.

In advocacy, the ACS has worked to increase federal funding to allow low-income women access to breast and cervical cancer screenings; doubled the funding for the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute; assured that all individuals covered under medicare receive access to potentially lifesaving clinical trials; reduced death and illness by advocating for stronger smoking ordinances and state laws to protect employees and the public from tobacco smoke.

In research, this year alone, the ACS funded more than $130 million in cancer research; $2.9 million in grants at UGA. The ACS funds cutting-edge research leading to 38 Nobel Prize winners; and is currently funding the Cancer Prevention Study 3 (500,000 participants).

The money raised also goes to services like Hope Lodge; Road to Recovery; Look Good...Feel Better; Reach to Recovery; The Cancer Survivors Network, and more.

"Wilkes County currently has five drivers in the Road to Recovery program which provides transportation to and from treatments for cancer patients who may not be able to drive themselves," Treadwell said. "This is a free service for the cancer patients. Relay money helps fund this program as well as train the volunteers."

Corporate sponsors are important to the annual event, Treadwell said. The latest corporate sponsors are Dr. Angela Butler-Rice, The Fitzpatrick Hotel, and Savannah Valley Rehabilitation Center.

Other sponsors include Washington Seventh Day Adventist, The Garden Party, Tena's Jewelry, Lannae Construction, Fareway Building Supply, Church of the Mediator, Regions Bank, Wills Memorial, Bumper to Bumper, Farmers and Merchants, Rayle EMC, Wilkes Health Care, CSRA Home Health, Twin Oaks Baptist Church, Sim Dill Jr Contractor, Standard Auto & Equipment, Andrews Quick Lube, and Griggs Realty.

Anyone interested becoming a corporate sponsor may call Amy Treadwell at 678-7565.