May 8, 2008

Volunteers needed for successful

2008 Relay For Life

The 2008 Ritzville Relay For Life is searching for volunteers to participate in the second annual event set for Aug. 15-16, 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. at the high school athletic track.

Organizers have set Ritzville’s goal at 25 teams participating in the event and raising $53,000. As of Tuesday, 13 teams and 106 participants are signed up.

Ideally, each team will include 10-15 members and teams are searching for members to add to the roster.

Relay For Life teams are typically comprised of friends, family members, cancer survivors, co-workers, students and active senior citizens.

Vicky Johnson is the Team Development Committee chairperson. Anyone interested in participating on a team or being a team captain may contact Johnson at home 659-0362. Registration is also available at Ritzville’s Web site at http://www.events.cancer.org/ritzvillerelay.

Eleven pre-set Relay For Life committees are the driving force behind the event. Committees/sub-committees that still need an extra set of hands or two are sponsorship and silent auction.

Anyone interested in volunteering for committees, participating on a team or helping on the day of the event may contact Event Coordinator Cindy Edgren at 710-6401 or via e-mail at Ritzville_relay@yahoo.com.

Committees with a chairperson include: Registration/accounting, Sandi Lehman; sponsorship, Connie Galbreath; team development, Vicky Johnson; online, Brent Larsen; survivorship, Tia Kubik; logistics and facilities, Gary Kubik; food, Melanie Kin Kade; entertainment, Stephanie Geschke; luminaria, Lavonne and Don Saunders, co-chairs; advocacy, Rena Wahl; publicity, Jennifer Larsen.

Volunteers are currently contacting area businesses and organizations to sign on as corporate sponsors. Funds donated by the sponsors are used to help fund the infrastructure of the event, including rental of the site, tents and audio equipment, purchasing t-shirts and other expenses incurred by holding the event.

All money raised by the teams is used by the American Cancer Society to continue funding cancer research, state and national legislative advocacy and educational and community service programs.

The day of the event, the teams arrive at the Relay site and pitch tents. Following kick-off festivities, all area cancer survivors are invited to walk the ceremonial opening lap.

The Ritzville Relay isn’t defined by any boundaries. It includes all survivors in the area – Lind, Washtucna, Sprague, Odessa or wherever.

Once the cancer survivors complete their lap, each team is asked to have one member walking the track throughout the entire event.

When team members aren’t walking, they are taking part in the all-nighter, which includes visiting other campsites, participating in games and activities or taste testing at food venues.