Great River Relay For Life is Saturday evening at PdCHS
Peoples State Bank and MPC gave $1,500 corporate sponsorships to the Great River Relay For Life last week. Both have been 16-year financial contributors of the local fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Also, Prairie du Chien Mayor Dave Hemmer signed a proclamation declaring July 30, 2016, as Relay For Life Day in the city. He is pictured (center) with Shelly Rider, one of the relay’s coordinators. The Relay For Life is scheduled for Saturday, July 30, at the Prairie du Chien High School track, from 4 to 11 p.m. Pictured (left), Peoples State Bank President Mark Forsythe hands the donation to Mary Ann Heisz, one of the relay’s coordinators. (Right) Tom Hampton and Janet Mezera, members of the Relay For Life event leadership team and MPC employees, are shown receiving the donation from Plant Manager Lisa Esser.
It’s time again for the Great River Relay For Life, held at the Prairie du Chien High School, from 4 to 11 p.m., Saturday, July 30, in an effort to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. This year’s theme is “One World, One Hope.” Luminaria sales are still available at People’s State Bank and A Cut Above in Prairie du Chien through Wednesday.
On Saturday, set up for teams and registration begins at 3 p.m. The survivor reception and silent auction will begin at 4 p.m. The opening/survivor ceremony is at 5 p.m. Mary Ann Heisz, a survivor and co-coordinator of the Relay For Life, said she would like to see a great number of survivors come out this year to walk on the track for the survivors lap. A dessert auction starts at 6 p.m. Then, the caregiver ceremony takes place at 7 p.m. The silent auction and luminaria sales will end by 8 p.m. Capping off the evening, the Spirit of Hope/Luminaria program is a beautiful, emotional and unforgettable moment ending the relay.
Numerous local families and businesses have sponsored hours of hope in memory of local residents who lost their battles with cancer.
Don Lyons and his daughter will provide music from 4 to 5 p.m., while Smoking Gun Showdown will perform from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Family-friendly activities will be available all evening, including a bounce house, badminton, pony rides, a soccer/kickball obstacle course, basketball, race walking and more.
Relay For Life officially began in Tacoma, Wash., in May of 1985, when Dr. Gordy Klatt walked and ran for 24 hours around a track, ultimately raising $27,000 to help the American Cancer Society fight the nation’s biggest health concern, cancer. Since those first steps, the Relay For Life movement has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, raising nearly $5 billion to fight cancer. According to Heisz, over a million dollars has been raised through the Prairie du Chien event over the years.
