Relay For Life is a time of remembrance and a time for teams to gather in hope that a cure for cancer will be found.
The main purpose of Relay For Life is to raise money for the American Cancer Society; money that will go toward research for new cancer treatments and working for a cure.
Carter County Relay For Life has been active since the start of its campaign year holding different events as fundraisers.
Carter County Publicity Chair Kathy Thomason noted those efforts do not stop on the night of the Relay. In fact, many teams take their fundraising efforts to the track and have items available for purchase all through Relay night to continue raising money toward their cause.
“People think, ‘where does the money go?’” Thomason said. “When they give, the money goes to research. The American Cancer Society is No. 1 in the U.S. for money raised going to research. The money also goes to cancer patients and their families to help with lodging and travel for treatments. When people give to the Relay For Life, they know it is going for a good cause.”
Not every team at the Carter County Relay For Life will have additional items for sale during the night of the Relay.
Teams continuing their fundraising efforts are:
• Sunset Stompers: tacos, drinks, funnel cakes, glow-in-the-dark items, games;
• Faithful Family and Friends: Papa John’s pizza, no-bake cookies, brownies, drawing for a Kindle Fire HD;
• Oak Street Baptist: lap beads, beads that keep track of every lap walkers make;
• Big Team: lemonade, jewelry, sweatshirts, hoodies, Boob Toss;
• Live Love Cure: glow shirts;
• Team Becky: jewelry;
• Cancer Crushers: hamburgers, hot dogs, silent auction;
• Walgreens: Decades of Hope shirts, cupcakes, silent auction for Jason Witten footballs;
• Health Source: rock taping, for tired feet and sore muscles;
• Silver Angels: sno-cones, baked goods, fried pies, nachos and cheese, pixie stiks, glow sticks;
• Ward’s Warriors: milkshakes, floats, hot dogs;
• Valley Forge Christian Church: baked goods, canned drinks, water;
• Caldwell Springs Baptist Church: water;
• Medical Care: bottled water, cornhole game, information on cancer screenings and appointments for mammograms;
• Donna’s Dream Team: breast cancer items, biscuits and gravy; and
• Life Care: pick-a-duck, breakfast wraps, candy, funnel cakes
Thomason pointed out that the Relay walk does not mark the end of fundraising for the current campaign year.
“The Relay is not the end,” she said. “The books do not close until the end of August. Donations will still be accepted and fundraisers are still planned.”
One of the Relay teams, Rock Reunion, has a concert planned. A softball game featuring the same teams in the Battle of the Badges, the Elizabethton Police Department, the Elizabethton Fire Department, the Carter County Sheriff’s Department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, is in the works. Also, the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library is planning a summer event for Relay.