Relay for Life steps off Friday

MOSES LAKE - Participants will have the chance to "fight back" against cancer at the annual Relay for Life this Friday and Saturday, with the first lap at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The last lap is at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The Relay for Life is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society; teams will spend all night walking around Lions Field. Terry Mills, one of the organizers, said participants had raised about $100,000 as of June 4.

"One of the best ways to describe it is, to celebrate those who have survived, remember those who haven't and fight back," Moore said.

The gates open at 3 p.m. Friday for teams to set up their campsites. Participants go camping, but they don't really sleep overnight, Moore said. "That (sleep) is not allowed. It's definitely not allowed," she said. Teams are required to have at least one person walking around the stadium at all times. But there are activities to keep everybody awake and busy all night long, Moore said. "Cancer never sleeps. So we don't."

Besides, "we put the fun in fundraiser," she said.

Michael's on the Lake will serve a barbecue dinner beginning at 4:30 p.m. Things start hopping at about 5 p.m., when the Relay Bank opens and people can buy the luminary bags. Luminaries are purchased in memory of cancer survivors, cancer victims and people fighting the disease. They are set up around the stadium and in the bleachers; about 500 are used to spell out the word "hope," Moore said. Luminaries are lit for the first time in a special ceremony at 10 p.m.

The luminaries will be flameless battery operated candles, and the bags will be weighed down with canned food, Moore said. Organizers are soliciting donations of cans, boxes or bags of non-perishable food, which in turn will be donated to Ronald McDonald House in Spokane and Cancer House in Wenatchee, Moore said.

Opening ceremonies begin at 6 p.m., with the introduction of sponsors, top fundraisers and team captains. Mark Gilbert of Gilbert Nissan will be the featured speaker. Gilbert has been a relay participant for about 20 years, Moore said.

The Mr. Relay candidates also will be introduced. Men from each team dress in drag and take a purse through the crowd, soliciting donations, until about 9:45 p.m. The man who raises the most money wins.

Survivors lead the first lap at 6:30 p.m., with a caregiver lap immediately following. Moore said there would be about 200 survivors leading the lap, and with the supporters, there will be about 1,000 to 1,500 people walking.

The teams parade at 6:45 p.m., and the official first lap begins at 7 p.m. Tom Willner, a musician from Georgia who's also a cancer survivor, will open the entertainment at the main stage. "Different bands come out and play," Moore said. The lineup for 2010 includes Copious Notes and the Kenny Nash Band.

There's a food court, featuring local businesses, for people who get hungry during the evening. Papa John's Pizza will take orders for delivery until 1:30 a.m.

They'll be playing bingo from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the survivor tent.

The luminaries will be lit for the first time at 10 p.m. Willner will perform his original song, "Every Candle has a Name." The luminary ceremony includes a silent lap in memory of victims and survivors.

"Very moving, emotional ceremony. For some, it's the beginning of a healing process," Moore said.

Music is scheduled to continue until about 2 a.m. That's when the duct tape fashion show starts. Participants are required to make an outfit from duct tape, and wear it.  There's a scavenger hunt at 3 a.m., an obstacle course at 4 a.m. and a Zumba session at 5 a.m.

Breakfast, a team fundraiser, goes on sale at 6 a.m. The Fight Back ceremony begins on the main stage at 8 a.m. "We talk about the way people fight back," Moore said, whether it's raising money, providing transportation for a cancer patient, or whatever they do. "It's a commitment to fight back. To do something," she said.

Closing ceremonies begin at 9 a.m. with the final lap at 10 a.m.  "I highly recommend people come out (during the Relay). It's impressive," Moore said.