Blaine County Annual Relay for Life event set for July 8

The Blaine County Relay for Life coordinating committee recently met to set a date for the upcoming annual Relay for Life. This will be the sixth year for the event and organizers are hoping for at least 10 teams to participate. Some teams have already organized and started their fundraising for the 2016 event.

It may seem a long time until July 8 but organizers know there's a lot to be done to prepare for the event. Relay for Life is one of the largest fundraisers in the United States, with events held in every state. The funds go toward cancer research and providing support for cancer victims and their family members.

Sara Hofer, a Specialist Relay for Life staffer out of Billings, was at the meeting to help pick a workable date. She noted, "In the smaller counties I serve it's always a challenge to get the right date for a relay event. It seems many of the same people serve and volunteer in a large number of activities. Then, there's the issue of conflicting with county fairs, rodeos, family vacations and harvest time. We pick the best date we can and hope for a good turnout and a large number of teams."

Weather, always an unknown, can also be a challenge. Most of the fundraising happens before the actual relay-the relay is really an opportunity to celebrate the fundraising and recognize the teams and the cancer victims the relay honors. It's a tradition that local cancer survivors make the first lap around the track at Hoon Field, in Chinook, where the relay is staged. Last year's celebration was interrupted several times with hard rain and strong winds.

Activities for Relay for Life, 2016

One significant change will be the reduced number of hours of the relay. Traditionally the celebration began in the early evening, then team members kept a walking vigil throughout the night until the next morning. Art Klienjan, a committee member, said, "This year we'll end at midnight. The participation in the wee hours of the morning really didn't justify such a long event."

The first event on the evening of the relay will be the survivors' dinner. The dinner has been hosted, for the past three years, by the Alliance Church in Chinook. Activities then move to Hoon Field where many teams set up 'camps' so team members have a place to rest during the evening. Cancer survivors will make the first lap around the track, then team members join the evening walk. Luminaries, honoring cancer victims and survivors, will be a part of the events at the field.

The Community Kick-off Dinner will be held well before the Relay for Life celebration. This year's community dinner will be held at the Eagles Club on Friday, February 26. That's a time for teams to recruit new members, let everyone involved in the relay get to know each other and learn how the event will work. A spaghetti dinner with all the trimmings will be served at the club. It's a family-friendly event and children are welcome.

The coordinating committee is looking for volunteers to serve on the committee. The coordinating committee helps with the logistics of the community dinner and the relay celebration. Last year's event raised about $14,000 for cancer research and cancer victim support.

If you would like more information about the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, how to organize or join a team you can find information at: relayforlife.org\blainecountymt. Or, call coordinating committee member Mary Pyette at 357-4129 (cell is 781-8039) for team information.