COURTLAND—The Franklin-Southampton County Relay For Life has a full schedule for teams and the community all night Friday and all day Saturday, leading up the the final event, the Luminaria ceremony.

The theme this year is cancer-fighting superheroes, and event co-chair Shellie McHenry said celebrating the survivors would be a focus, as well as remembering those that we have lost.

“I think Relay is a time to remember those that we have lost,” she said. “It’s also a time of celebration for those who are surviving. We have some survivors celebrating their first year, and some whose anniversaries are more than 20 years.

“It’s important to remember why we Relay.”

Cancer is a serious subject, and it affects everyone. They Relay every year to raise money for a cure. But they also try to have fun while doing it, and committee member Cindy Cotton said they wanted this to be a fun, family-friendly event.

“We want this to be for the community, not just for the teams involved,” she said. “We want the community to see all of the different things going on the schedule and come out and have a good time and support us, even if it is only for an hour.”

Cotton said some of the highlights on the schedule include the pajama fashion show, the super hero lap, the talent show, and then of course, the survivor lap and the Luminaria, which brings it all together.

“There should be an event for everyone,” she said. “It should be a lot of fun and for a good cause.”

This year there are 18 teams that consists of 290 participants. Cotton said it’s too late to sign up for another team, but individuals could still find a team and join them. She said she also welcomes people just showing up without being on a team.

The goal this year is to raise $110,000. So far, they have raised more than $82,000, and they will continue to raise money until August.

“You can still contribute,” she said. “You can still do Luminarias, though we will cut that off probably at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The teams will have raffles and other fundraising during the day. And the Key Club will have a concession stand. Everything goes toward our efforts.”

McHenry said with 1 in 4 people having cancer, it likely effects all of us.

“Chances are that you at least know someone close to you who has had cancer,” she said. “If not, that day will unfortunately come. We are working for a cure.

“But Relay is also a time for everyone to come out, have fun and reflect, while getting together with your friends and neighbors and having a good time.”

The event will be at Southampton High School, starting Friday night at 9, and ending Saturday night at 9.

 

Friday, June 6

9 p.m. – Relay For Life Kick-Off

10 p.m. – Super Hero Training Academy

(There is an 11 p.m. curfew for anyone under 18 who is not a registered team member or who does not have a designated chaperone that is a registered team member)

 

Saturday, June 7

Midnight – Second Annual Pajama Fashion Show

2 a.m. – Poker Lap

3 a.m. – S’more Relay Lap

4 a.m. – Black Out Laps

6 a.m. – Doughnuts and Coffee Laps with a doughnut eating contest

9 a.m. – Survivor Celebration Lap

10 a.m. – Test Your Villain-Fighting Skills

10:30 a.m. – Test Your Endurance – ZUMBA

11 a.m. – Test your X-Ray Vision – Guessing and Memory Competition

Noon – Super Hero Lap and Super Hero Fashion Show

1 p.m. – Test Your Brain Power? – Word Scramble Competition

2 p.m. – Relay For Life Community Talent Show

4 p.m. – Test Your Speed – Road To Recovery Race

5 p.m. – Test Your Strength! – Ice Smash Competition

5:30 – Final Campsite Judging

6 – Final Team Lap

7 – Raffle drawings and awards

8 – Luminaria Ceremony followed by the Memory Lap