The North Clark County Relay for Life was held Aug. 17-18 at the Battle Ground High School District Stadium, and more than 40 teams and 660 individuals participated.
Honoring more than 125 survivors, this year’s event was supported by 22 corporate sponsors. More than 30 “committee” volunteers and ACS staff partner Dana Taylor came together to make it all happen.
Event organizers had a goal of raising $100,000 and by 10 a.m. on Aug. 17, they had already raised more than $91,000. Knowing that the average potential in the 24-hour event was $25,000, they knew they were going to reach their goal. So, excited and unable to wait (never done before) at 10 p.m., before the luminary ceremony, Cheryl Jones, team development co-chair, announced, with tears in her eyes, that the total was more than $103,400. By 10 a.m. the following day, they had raised more than $114,000.
The end date of the Relay year was Aug. 31, and by that date, the community had raised $121,256. Out of 52 relays in the Portland/Vancouver Metro area, the North County event was the only one to “blow their goal out of the water,” according to event co-chair Tracie Gorbet.
The committee would like to invite the entire community to join in and celebrate their success at the Wrap-Up Party, which will be Wed., Sept. 25, 6-8 p.m., at the Battle Ground Community Center, 912 E. Main St., Battle Ground. Rocky’s Pizza will provide dinner.
The 2014 North County Relay for Life website is already up and running, www.relayforlife.org/northclarkcountywa. Cheryl Jones would like to see every team that was registered for 2013 signed up for 2014 before the Wrap-Up Party.
Next year, there will be no team fee. Instead, organizers are trying to make sure that those who sign up are going to be participants on the various teams. Therefore, each participant will pay a $10 registration fee when they join. They can pay by credit card when they join a team or they can pay by cash or check at a meeting.
