Porterville Relay For Life Honors 20 Years
On a sunny Thursday morning with a cool breeze blowing, shouts of “Go Relay” could be heard coming from Centennial Park in downtown Porterville as members of the Relay For Life committee gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony in honor of Porterville’s 20th annual Relay For Life.
Chamber of Commerce President Monte Reyes was among those in attendance, and he applauded the committee on their hard work in preparation for the event in early October.
“I know it takes a really strong team to pull this together and make it happen, so I’m encouraged by what I see here today,” Reyes stated to the group.
There is still a month and a half until the event, but so far thirty teams have signed up and over $36,000 has been raised.
The committee has also organized a blood drive for September 26 at Black Bear Diner from 2 to 7 p.m. They will be giving out t-shirts and personal pies for those who donate blood.
Kim Wallace, an American Cancer Society Community Development Manager and Porterville’s Relay for Life Event Coordinator, gave an opening speech for the ribbon cutting.
“Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in California. Only heart disease takes more lives, so we need to continue the great fight,” Wallace said.
Event lead Rebecca Underwood spoke about survivors and how hard it can be for them.
“We want to make sure survivors know they are not alone,” Underwood said, “They have support.”
It is not just survivors that have support. There is also support for the loved ones of those whose lives were taken by cancer. Many of the committee members made it clear that the relay is just like one big family.
The 20th annual Relay for Life event is still in the planning stages, so it is unknown if anything special would be happening
for the occasion. What is known is that there will be all-day music along with on-site fund raisers. There will also be games, contests, activities for kids, a silent auction, raffles, food, drinks and more.
“The relay is welcome to the public,” said Wallace, “You can come and you don't have to sign up. You can just go and be a part of it.”
The Relay For Life will take place from 9 a.m October 6 until 9 a.m. October 7 at Summit Charter Collegiate Academy.
“It's a 24 hour event,” said Wallace, “because cancer doesn't sleep, so neither do we.”