Volunteers, organizers set for next weekend's Relay for Life at W-W Parks and Recreation
By KIP BURKE news editor

The Wilkes County Relay for Life, set for May 2-3, will bring out hundreds of participants to raise money to fight cancer.

With the 2008 Wilkes County Relay for Life just a little over a week away, organizers say they are making good progress in making or exceeding their goal of raising $50,000.

Teams all over the Washington- Wilkes area are making last-minute preparations for the May 2-3 event.

"We have 21 teams signed up and three additional groups raising funds" says Cathy Lannae, event chairman. Forty-five corporate sponsors have come forth to provide support to the event.

For weeks now, local teams have held bake sales, yard sales, pancake, spaghetti, and barbeque suppers, and hamburger/hot dog cookouts. A "floating" silent auction has been circulating around town and will appear for final bidding on Saturday morning at the Farmer's Market from 8 a.m. to noon.

The Relay for Life, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, is the largest outdoor fund-raiser across the nation and brings together more than 3.5 million people every year to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and empower communities to fight back against this heartbreaking disease.

Survivors of cancer always lead the first lap of Relay for Life, as they did in this 2007 photo.

The event will start Friday evening and run through Saturday morning at sunrise. First Baptist Church youth pastor Chris Townsend will again take the stage to emcee the evening's activities. "We'll have games and activities for the whole family" to raise both money and awareness, he said. "There will be music, dance and comic entertainment on the main stage presented by local personalities."

"Friday night at 7, the event begins with a Survivors Ceremony and a Survivors Lap around the track," Lannae said, "followed by a Caregivers Lap during which friends and family join the survivors. The third lap is the Team Lap. Then, as is tradition with Relay for Life, each team will have a walker during the entire night to commemorate those on the cancer journey and to emphasize the message that cancer never sleeps."

The walkers continue until 6:15 a.m. when the closing "Fight Back" ceremony takes place. "It will include city officials, Relay planners and American Cancer Society representatives and will encourage everyone to take a pledge to fight back against this dreaded disease," Lannae said. "The final lap will be led by the kids of Wilkes County. Breakfast will be provided by Mc- Donald's. Everyone is invited to come out to participate in the final lap."

To fuel the Relay activities through the night, various groups will be fund-raising with food, including: foot-long hot dogs, hamburgers, barbeque, fishsandwiches and grilled chicken sandwiches, pizza, tamales, steak and Philly cheese steak sandwiches, hot wings, chili, crawdad soup, pasta and grits, Coke floats, cotton candy, popcorn, pastries, peanuts, ice cream, peach cobbler and more.

2008 Relay Teams include: Church of the Mediator, Clifford Grove Baptist Church, Farmers and Merchants Bank, First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, Georgia Peaches and Peanuts, Heritage Health Care of Wilkes, Little River Aloha, Pliant Corp., Rayle EMC, Regions Bank, Springfield Baptist Church, St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Twin Oak BaptisChurch,Washi Church of God, Wilkes County Love ConnectionWilkes County Seniors, Wills Memorial Hospital, Washington Police Dept., W-W Primary School, W-W Elementary School, and WWCHS.

In-kind sponsors are The News-Reporter, WXKT-WLOV, and the Washington Wilkes Parks and Recreation Department.

Platinum sponsors are Wills Memorial Hospital and Washington Seven th Day Adventist Church/Wilkes County Love ConnectionGold sponsors include: Barnett- Southern Corporation, Farmers and Merchants Bank, Farmers State Bank, Georgia Realty Sales, Poss Ace Hardware, Regions Bank, Springfield Baptist Church, Twin Oak Baptist Church, and Washington Wilkes Ventures, LLC.

Silver sponsors include: Badcock and More Home Furniture, Bennett, Davidson and Assoc., LLP, Blackmon Auto Parts, Bumper to Bumper of Washington, CSRA Home Health Agency, CSRA Private Duty, Inc., The Episcopal Church of the Mediator, Denard & Moore Construction, Essex Corporation, Fareway Building Supply, Fievet Pharmacy, Heritage Healthcare of Wilkes, Jeff & Amy Treadwell Family, La Cabaña Mexican Restaurant, Lannae Construction, McDonald's, Petal Pushers, Randall Family, Rayle EMC, Savannah Valley Rehab Center, Scarborough's, Sim Dill-Master Contractor, Southern Pine Mfg. Inc., St. Joseph's Catholic Church, the Andren and Virginia Appelquest f ami ly, Tena 's Jewelry & Gift Shop, Washington Woman's Club, Wilkes County Cattlemen's Assn., Wilkes Eye Center, and Wilkes Telephone & Electric Company.

Additional sponsors include: Pop- Lahr Possibilities - Kay Poplin and Robin Edwards, Colonial Builders Supply - Ryan Hite, CH2MHill/ OMI-John Scott, L & L Farms-Raleigh Long, J & J Colonial Cleaners - Walter and Nadine Jones, Washington Hardware - Brian Denard, Kwik Stop - Tim Lawson, Miss Fancy Plants - Louise Grimaud, Erick Pagan, DMD, White Rock Baptist Church - Rev. G. L. Avery, and New Ford Baptist Church.

Other opportunities to provide support to Relay for Life include but are not limited to survivor tote bags, underwriting the survivor dinner, event programs, donations to the Silent Auction and raffle items.

To remember those on a cancer journey or those lost to cancer, luminarias can be purchased for $5 through May 1. Contact Zella Bennett at 706-401-1509.

For further information on the Wilkes County Relay for Life, contact Cathy Lannae at 706-678- 2862 or any Relay for Life team member.

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