Event raises funds for Relay For Life

MOSES LAKE - Pillar Rock Grill is hosting the fifth annual American Cancer Society's Relay For Life fundraiser dinner, dance and auction Friday.

With just 94 days left until the Relay For Life kicks off in Moses Lake, Columbia Colstor, Pillar Rock Grill, Tom Willner Music, Odom Distributing and Maryhill Winery are sponsoring the event.

This year's fundraiser, "Seasons of Hope," is a combined effort between two Relay For Life teams, the Columbia Colstor Snowflakes team and The Anderson/Copeland Family team.

The event is set from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday at the Pillar Rock Grill, located at 1373 Road F 2.

"Fun, that's what they can look forward to," says organizer Terry Moore. "It's our way of raising money for the American Cancer Society."

Moore has been a relay volunteer for 16 years, while organizer Donna Anderson has been a volunteer for more than 20 years. Both are volunteer members of the Northern Region Relay Advisory Council at Large. Moore is also a volunteer member of the National Relay Recognition Task Force.

Moore says guests can look forward to dinner and an auction featuring many items such as a chartered deep-sea fishing trip, dinner for eight at Pillar Rock, a Weber grill, golf and dinner for four, Mariner tickets, which include a parking pass, four dozen cookies every month for a year and more.

"It's something different. We wanted to make it fun," says Moore.

Guests can enjoy music by Tom Willner and Urban Blue during the evening. Moore says Willner is a friend and cancer survivor who will come from Atlanta to perform. Willner and Urban Blue perform a wide variety of music including rock, blues and reggae.

In years past, Moore says about 180 people attended the event and helped raise more than $56,000 since the event began in 2006.

"After expenses this year I would love to see between $25,000 and $30,000 raised," says Moore.

Relay For Life began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a surgeon from Tacoma, ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 20 other countries, participate in the annual event.

Tickets are $40 for singles, $75 for couples and $300 for a reserved table of eight guests.

At 9 p.m. anyone can come hear the band perform for $10.

Tickets are on sale but seating for the dinner and auction is limited.

For more information call 509-765-3343 or visit the website at relayforlife.org/moseslakewa.