This year’s Grand County Relay for Life will be held Friday and Saturday, July 26 and 27. The annual fundraiser raises money for the American Cancer Society to be used in research and support those fighting cancer.
Relay for Life is an overnight community fundraising walk. Teams will camp out at the Grand County High School football field and have walkers take turns making laps around the track all night long.
This year, Grand County has 19 teams with 133 participants registered. As of Sunday, July 14, they already raised $17,189.
Each year, more than four million people in over 20 countries raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer through the Relay For Life movement.
Grand County Relay for Life theme this year is Cruising for a Cure.
The evening begins at 5 p.m., Friday with the annual Taste of Moab. Restaurants like Sing Ha Thai Cuisine, Cabo Grille, Frankie D’s, Pasta Jays, The Peace Tree, The Blu Pig and Sweet Cravings will provide dishes. Tickets are $10. Cancer survivors get to eat free. All proceeds go to Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society.
The opening ceremony begins at 6 p.m. with a Survivor Lap beginning at 6:30 p.m. Each registered teams will have different Ports of Call. Passports will be handed out for participants to see each port and get the passport stamped.
The Moab Rotary Club is sponsoring games for the younger members of the family. The kid’s section will be available from 6:30 until 9 p.m.
Sol Vista, a band from Farmington, New Mexico will play live music from 8 to 10 p.m.
The Luminaria Ceremony will start at 10 p.m. Each luminaria, a lantern made from a paper bag and candle, is personalized with a name, photo, message or drawing in memory or honor of a friend or loved one who has been affected by cancer.
Walkers will continue walking the night. But that doesn’t mean others will rest. The night will be filled with fun games, like scrabble, bingo and poker laps. A scavenger hunt will break up the middle of the night blues. There’s also the Power of Purple Lap, with a prize going to the person wearing the most purple.
“We will also do a hat lap, a PJ lap and see how low we can go with a limbo lap,” said Yordy Eastwood, one of the organizers.
The Moab Diner will provide breakfast at 6 a.m., followed by the Fight Back Ceremony.
The Fight Back Ceremony, which helps close the event, has relayers take a final lap to pledge to take action and spread awareness of cancer research, treatments and prevention.
“Cancer affects every one of our lives This is our chance to celebrate the survivors, to remember those who have lost their battle and to fight back,” Eastwood said. “Please come out and join the fun, a community event that supports a great cause, the American Cancer Society, which helps more people celebrate more birthdays.”
