We met, we worked, we played, and we celebrated. And we raised $3895.00 in donations (as of this writing), exceeding our goal of $2000 by almost $1900.
The Leavenworth County Relay for Life, raising funds for the American Cancer Society to fund cancer research and increase awareness of cancer’s social costs, took place on Saturday, 21 September at Berkle Memorial Stadium, the University of St. Mary football field. The threat of severe weather put the location in question earlier in the day, but the clouds cleared away and the day’s earlier rain dried sufficiently to allow the gates to open at 1500 (3:00 PM) as scheduled. Event participants had a pleasant interval of clear weather for the remainder of the event.
St. Paul’s Relay for Life Team arrived and set to work, erecting our protective canopy and setting up for a lengthy stay. The Relay’s opening ceremonies took place beginning at 1620 (4:20 PM) with the first circuit of the football field by cancer survivors and their caregivers. Thereafter, folks attending the event were free to walk or jog the track as many times and at whatever speed they wished.
Although precise numbers are in some dispute, somewhere between 35 and 40 members of the Parish participated in the Relay for Life during its scheduled four-hour duration, many sporting blue St. Paul’s t-shirts.
St. Paul’s Team members supported other activities during the Relay as well. Tom Dials manned a charcoal grill as the event’s chief cook for hamburgers and hot dogs, while Weldon and Dolly Elrod assembled the grilled meat for delivery to hungry patrons. Team members also delivered several boxes of non-perishable food items, collected over preceding weeks, to Event organizers.
The threat of approaching severe weather forced an early end to the event, with the decision to curtail it coming at about 1830 (6:30 pm). Most organizations collapsed their canopies and vacated the field before 1900 (7:00 PM) but a small number of participants remained on hand to witness the formal closing ceremony. A single individual with a lighted torch circled the field while two pipers performed at its center: the sound of bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace” and other tunes of remembrance reminded all who heard of the social cost of cancer.
For the second year, St. Paul’s Relay for Life team demonstrated the Parish’s commitment to serving the needs of the Leavenworth community!
by Gary Hobin, Team Captain
835 SW Polk St.