Relay For Life generates close to $50,000
Chanet Stevenson/The Sun Tribune - Local cancer survivors walk in together to kick off the Relay for Life event held at Lions Park Friday evening.
Chanet Stevenson/The Sun Tribune - Othello Relay for Life 2017
Chanet Stevenson/The Sun Tribune - Othello Relay for Life 2017
Chanet Stevenson/The Sun Tribune - Othello Relay for Life 2017
Chanet Stevenson/The Sun Tribune - Meghan Endsley, PA-C for Columbia Basin Health Association, addresses the crowd, encouraging them to go in for cancer screenings and to ask their doctors questions about why they should be tested and the process it entails.
Chanet Stevenson/The Sun Tribune - Edie Borgman recounts her own battle with skin cancer, encouraging others to get checked for early detection. She also thanked fellow cancer survivors for joining in for the evening. "You're the reason that we do this event each year," she said.
It was a smaller turnout than past gatherings, but the annual Relay for Life event held July 21 still raised in the neighborhood of $48,000.
“The event went well — we had a nice turnout, but a lot of people left before midnight,” Diana Longoria, event chair, said. “This year we held it at Lions Park because the turf on the track at Othello High School was being redone, so that may have been a contributing factor.”
As far as the amount raised, Longoria said it was about half of what the event typically garners.
“It was rather low for our area,” she said. “We were lacking a sponsor chair this year — but we still raised a lot of money.”
Relay For Life is a community-based fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. More than 5,000 events take place each year in over 20 countries world-wide. It is the most successful fundraiser for the ACS, and to date has generated more than $5 billion. The funds raised go toward improving cancer survival, decreasing the incidence of cancer and improving the quality of life for cancer patients and their caretakers.
The event is organized under a volunteer relay committee and ran strictly by volunteers. Nearly 4 million people take part annually.
This marks the last year Longoria will function as lead for the event.
“Melissa Martinez will be lead chair for the next couple of years — the position usually rotates every two years, but no one was able to take over so I was the lead for the past four,” Longoria said. “I loved doing it — it was a wonderful experience and I got to meet a lot of people in the community.”