Relay for Life of Faulkner County invites participants for first 24-hour event

A bigger-than-ever Relay for Life of Faulkner County will kick off Thursday with an informational meeting at Smokehouse Barbecue at Donaghey Avenue and College Avenue.

The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. for anyone interested in joining or forming a team. Appetizers and drinks will be provided.

The Relay for Life is the signature fundraising event of the American Cancer Society, held in communities throughout the country. Event Chair Julie Bernard said, "We're going to give the teams an overview on what Relay for Life is and how they can get involved. We'll have music and food. We'll be socializing and working together to come up with ways to raise money."

Bernard said this year's relay will be different from previous years in that it will be a 24-hour event rather than a 12-hour event that starts in the evening and ends early in the morning.

"Relays that go 24 hours usually raise a lot more money," she said. Also, the timing is more convenient for families with children, she added.

"Families can only get involved for a few hours. So by going 24 hours, it includes a whole day that people can get involved. It's more of a fair/carnival atmosphere. They can play all day. They can come buy food, get their face painted, play games."

The 24-hour relay will go from 6 p.m. Friday, April 24, to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 25. It will be at Estes Stadium at the University of Central Arkansas.

Bernard said whereas the 12-hour relay has typically been an up-all-night event, "It's going to be more like a camp out this year. We will actually sleep overnight, wake up the next morning, raise money all day, and end the next night with a closing ceremony."

She added, "We're willing to do anything to raise money for cancer research and education. We've had a relay for almost 10 years now. This is what most other relays do in the rest of the U.S."

The theme for the 2009 relay will be "Cooking for a Cure," and teams will build their individual themes around food from different countries or restaurants, Bernard said. Teams will either sell food or organize activities that relate to food, she said.

"If you love to eat, we will be eating and walking a lot," she said. Team members take turns walking around a track throughout the relay. Teams generally hold a variety of fundraising events in advance of the relay.

Last year 50 teams participated in the Faulkner County relay, a record number, Bernard said. The 2008 event raised $96,000, she said.

"The more people we can get to the kickoff, the more people we can get to sign up," she said. "Our goal is to raise $100,000. We're calling all churches, organizations, families, businesses, to at least do a team or a sponsorship."

For more information on Relay for Life or to be a sponsor, contact Bernard at 501-908-4300 or glitterjewel@yahoo.com.

(Staff writer Rachel Parker Dickerson can be reached by e-mail at rachel.dickerson@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1277. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)