2016 was about change for the Carter County Relay For Life.
The local group has been busy raising funds to benefit the American Cancer Society, and with the new year on the horizon, are excited about what’s ahead.
“I’d say it was a good year,” county Relay For Life member Kathy Thomason said. “With the renovations at the high school track, we had to move our Relay For Life event to T.A. Dugger. It’s a great venue, but I think with the change, we didn’t see as many as we normally do. Our goal is to keep building on this past event and grow it even more for next year.”
The passion for Relay For Life stays in abundance for Thomason — a cancer survivor. And with a passionate committee, chaired this year by Charity and Greg Odom, cancer better watch out.
“Most of the people on our committee have either had a family member or themselves affected by cancer,” Thomason said. “The committee’s goal is to make sure we wipe cancer out.”
The progress has been shown, Thomason added. Relay For Life is currently being operated out of multiple hospitals and civic groups in the region. Along with communities rallying together, Thomason added she was happy to hear about upcoming laws going into effect that will move funding for cancer research forward.
“I could talk about this for hours,” she added with a laugh. “I’m very passionate about this and I will do what I can to help.”
With the new year right around the bend, Carter County Relay For Life is currently raising funds by offering discount cards to local restaurants. The price for a card is $10 and allows a customers to receive a deal at one of 23 different local eateries.
“The cards pay for themselves in no time,” she said. “We have them available to buy now. They’re great to use and also make good gifts for New Year’s and Valentine’s Day. Each $10 donation goes to benefit cancer research.”
A new year also means the annual Relay For Life event is mere months away. The upcoming event is scheduled for 5 p.m. at T.A. Dugger on June 23 and forming a team can work as a perfect way to open the new year, according to Thomason.
“We encourage people to visit our website to form a team,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be a business. We have one family that does it in honor of a family member and they’re excited each year to be part of it.”
Other events are on the horizon, too. The official kickoff event for 2017 gets underway on Saturday, Jan. 21, with the annual pancake breakfast scheduled to last from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Elizabethton Fatz Cafe location. The breakfast is available for a $6 donation with all proceeds going toward ACS. High school students will be able to get in the Relay spirit with Relay Nights scheduled for Jan. 13 during a Hampton High School basketball game. The other night is scheduled for Jan. 20, during a basketball game at Happy Valley High School.
Individuals looking to get involved have an opportunity to join the county’s Relay For Life during the regularly scheduled monthly meetings — the first Thursday of each month at 5:45 p.m. inside the Elizabethton Medical Care conference room.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Thomason added the group is looking at implementing a variety of different projects for the new year.
“It’s exciting,” she said. “We’ve got the ball rolling on different projects but we just need the help from the community.”
For more information, visit the Carter County Relay For Life, TN Facebook page online.