Families and Friends of Houston County Use Hearts
And Feet to Fight Cancer

(Perry, Georgia) Walkers will go around the clock in the battle against cancer when the 22nd American Cancer Society Relay For Life® of Houston County gets underway with 121 teams of residents gathering at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agriculture Center in Perry, GA on Friday, May 13, 2011 at 6:30 PM for the Opening Ceremony.
Relay for Life events are held overnight as individuals and teams camp out around the track, with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track or pathway at all times throughout the evening. Teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their camp sites during Relay. Relay brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups, churches and service clubs/organizations-people from all walks of life – all aimed at furthering the American Cancer Society’s efforts to save lives by helping people to stay well, by helping them to get well, and by finding cures and by fighting back.
The Warner Robins Pacers will run from Warner Robins to Perry, carrying the Relay torch. The runners will bring the torch to the Relay Cauldron located adjacent to the center stage. An ROTC group will present the Colors, the National Anthem will be sung, and an honorary cancer survivor will light the cauldron and raise the Relay Flag.
Cancer survivors will kick off the Relay by walking the honorary first lap, a moving experience honoring those who have defeated cancer. Survivors will join together to take Relay’s opening lap, unified in victory and hope, while the rest of the event’s participants surround the track to cheer them on. Caretakers will join the cancer survivors on the second lap, followed by other team members for the third and subsequent laps. Entertainment chairs, Jennifer and David Wilds, scheduled local entertainment throughout the evening which includes dance and jump rope teams from numerous schools, Morning Side Elementary School Chorus and Drum Club, the First Baptist of Haynesville Drama Group, Skip Blumenthal Bagpipes, the USAF Neon Jug Band, and the Narrow Road Band . A Victory Lap will precede the Closing Ceremony, scheduled at 6:30 AM Saturday morning.
“Relay is a unique opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember those we’ve lost, and fight back against the disease,” said Thaina Brown-Brake, Event Chair. “Many of the participants are cancer survivors, which serves as a reminder that Houston County is not immune to this disease and that by participating in Relay, we are joining with the American Cancer Society’s efforts to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays,”” Heather Gilbert, American Cancer Society Community Manager, added.
Funds raised at Relay for Life of Houston County are enabling the American Cancer Society to impact the lives of those touched by cancer within the community.
With over 1400 registered participants and 340 survivors, the successful 2010 Relay for Life campaign raised over $297,000. These monies helped to serve 187 cancer patients and their families in Houston County this past year. Of these: 15 cancer patients received financial assistance, 23 cancer patients attended a Look Good…Feel Better session, and 14 cancer patients and their caregivers stayed at Hope Lodge for FREE for a total of 350 nights!
Relay for Life’s Luminaria Ceremony takes place after sundown (about 9:00 PM), honoring the community’s cancer survivors and remembering those lost to the disease. Participants will circle a track that is surrounded with glowing luminaria that bears the name of someone who has battled cancer. “It is a beautiful sight when all the bags with candles are illuminated around the track”, said Debbie Hoke, Luminaria Co-Chair. Luminaria may be purchased for $5 by calling 478-743-6391 or by visiting www.relayforlife.org/houstonga.The candle-lit ceremony provides an opportunity for remembrance and hope” added Kynette Cheatham, Luminaria Co-Chair.
Lifeline of Hope sponsorship signs may be obtained by donating $100 for each yard sign which is 18" x 24" and includes two lines of print. Donors may use the sign to honor or remember a loved one as well as to promote a business, etc.
To locate a Relay for Life event and find out how you may get involved, please call 1-800-227-2345 or visit RelayForLife.org.
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; by helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
This year’s Relay would not be possible without the generous support of our corporate sponsors:
Presenting Sponsors: Butcher Boyz and Robins Federal Credit Union
Diamond Level Sponsors: Northrop Grumman, Patterson Chiropractic, Perry Pawn, Street Home Medical, Jeff Smith Automotive
Platinum Level Sponsors: CB&T Bank of Middle Georgia, ComSouth
Gold Level Sponsors: Central Georgia Breast Care Center, Central Georgia Cancer Care, Central Georgia Radiation Oncology, Warner Robins First United Methodist Church, Frito Lay, Golden Key Realty, L3Communications, The MRI Center of Central Georgia, Houston HealthCare, The PET-CT Center of Central Georgia, and Five Star Automotive Group.

Please feel free to stop by the Relay Friday, May 13 any time throughout the evening to join in the “Cancer Doesn’t Take a Holiday” celebration, listen and watch the creative performances of our local entertainers and to help us fight cancer.