Relay For Life Particpants Raise Nearly Double 2012 Figure

Constant rain and a few bolts of lightning chased Saline Relay for Life participants from Crabtree Field about 11 hours early Saturday night.

But the 40 soggy people still in attendance at 11:30 p.m. during the closing ceremony were in a celebratory mood. And why not?

One of the main goals of Relay for Life is to raise money for the American Cancer Society, and the 16 teams and 126 participants in this year’s event raised $43,883 – almost double the $24,000 raised in 2012.

(Note: The fundraising total has increased to $44,582 as of July 1)

Karen Ragland raised $6,010 and her team, Coughlin Ragland Champions, raised $17,235. Ragland, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, laughed and sang as she walked laps with friends around the Crabtree Field track during Saturday afternoon’s downpour. Even before she was diagnosed, Ragland and friends decided to make the Saline Relay for Life an event more representative of the community.

“I think it was a terrific event. Last year, we had a pitiful presentation from Saline. It didn’t represent us at all,” Ragland said. “The weather put a damper on some people, but it also gave people a chance to say, ‘It doesn’t matter. We’ll do it anyway.’”

The constant rain chased away some participants and took down a few tents, too. The weather also prevented several musical acts from performing.  But under umbrellas, soggy blankets and soaked caps, the Relayers continued around the track. Keystone Community Church brought extra umbrellas and gave them to soggy Relayers as they passed the Keystone team tent.

A couple of lightning bolts, however, changed the equation. Participants were called into Liberty School. Organizers began to question plans for the 24-hour event. At one point, organizers considered bringing the Luminaria event indoors. Though the rain stopped and organizers allowed the Luminaria to occur on the track, the event was called early.

“We felt it was a little too ridiculously wet to keep people overnight and we still had a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms,” said Max Brennan, of the American Cancer Society. Brennan didn’t want to have to wake people up and send them home after a 3 a.m. lightning bolt.

The Luminaria took place at 10 p.m. To honor loved ones who died because of cancer, people decorated white paper bags and placed a lit candle inside them. The bags were placed around the track. After watching a video which showed the names of hundreds of loved ones who died because of cancer, about 80 people gathered for one last lap around the track.

After the Luminaria lap, participants packed up. About half the crowd remained and cheered when Brennan announced the fundraising goal of $35,000 had been obliterated.

“We’ve had almost 100 percent growth in one year. And we’ll try to do the same next year,” Brennan said.

Following the third annual Saline Relay for Life event, Ragland said she believes the event will continue to grow.

“We still have a field to fill. I think we will do that,” Ragland said. “This year was so successful, I think the word will spread. People will want to be part of it.”

Earlier in the day,  participants honored cancer survivors with a Survivor’s Lap. They also honored caregivers with a lap. 

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