Relay for Life nets $60,000 for cancer research

By CRISTINA TRAPANI-SCOTT

The Third Annual Lenawee Northeast Relay For Life was held Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10, at Indian Stadium in Tecumseh. More than 30 teams set up camp at the football field for the event, which started at noon on Friday.

Throughout the 24 hours booths continued to promote activities for additional fundraising that included lemonade sales, putt-putt golf, massages, various other sales and Rock Em’ Sock Em’ Robots challenges that kept in line with the Relay For Life theme “Fight Back.” Activities continued on the stage throughout the night, including karaoke and a scavenger hunt that kept the late-night walkers entertained.

The event netted $60,000 for the American Cancer Society that will be used for research and early detection programs. That’s up from $45,474 that was raised last year.
“It was absolutely a success,” said Cynthia Pepple of the American Cancer Society. “Not only in terms of dollars raised, but more importantly, in the numbers of survivors walking and participants on the field.”

Pepple estimated 2,000 people attended the event on Friday. She said 850 people were members of teams based on the number of T-shirts given away. There were 115 survivors registered, with the victory lap for survivors running at 6 p.m. Friday night. Prior to the victory lap, participants extended a prayer chain around the entire track. As darkness fell, 650 luminaries were lit as names were read.

The top individual fundraiser was Chris Francis of the Carol’s Hallmark team. Dwayne Pizana, who co-chaired the event with his son, Jesse, who is a survivor of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, was the top fundraiser with the most laps walked. Pizana walked the entire 24 hours as promised leading up to the Relay For Life. In all, he circled the track for a distance of 45 miles.

“The Lenawee Northeast Relay For Life is a very special and personal event,” Pepple said. “The City of Tecumseh and its surrounding areas have truly made this their own special activity for Mother’s Day weekend, and the American Cancer Society is extremely pleased with the results of the event in what’s beginning to look like a very challenging season.”