By Erin Smith
Plans are underway for the annual Bladen County Relay for Life event. This year’s event offers plenty of excitement.
Event Chairman Mary Williams said this year’s event will be held on Saturday, April 27th, from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. at the Elizabethtown Middle School athletic field. The theme for this year’s event is Superheroes of Hope. She said a couple of new programs have been added to this year’s Relay for Life event.
“We have added the Road to Recovery where volunteers sign up and take patients to and from doctor appointments,” said Williams.
She said this is very important because often, many individuals, especially the elderly, will miss doctor appointments because they do not have transportation or someone to drive them. Williams said if you are interested in volunteering for Road to Recovery, you can contact her or sign up at the Relay for Life event.
Another new event this year is the Parade of Churches. Williams said churches throughout Bladen County are asked to pick a cancer color and during the month for that cancer the church is asked to decorate their yard or other areas they deem appropriate in that color for the type of cancer they choose. Williams said the idea is to bring awareness to the community regarding the various types of cancers.
Williams also said there are sponsorship opportunities this year for Bladen County businesses. Sponsorships range from $100 to $5,000.
“We really want the support of the business community,” said Williams.
She also said the Relay for Life committee has set a goal to sell 150 luminaries. Rosebushes are also available for purchase in honor or memory of someone.
Williams said the number of teams entered in this year’s event is growing. Thus far, there are 13 teams registered for the event. The fundraising goal for this year’s event is $130,000 and so far $7,276 of that goal has been raised.
Williams said there is still time to enter your team. You can attend one of the team meetings or go to http://main.acsevents.org/
The next Bladen County Relay for Life meeting is planned for Tuesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. at the Bladen County Public Library in Elizabethtown. The library is located at 111 N. Cypress Street, Elizabethtown.
The annual Survivors Gala will take place on Sunday, March 24th, at the Cape Fear Farmers Market in Elizabethtown at 4 p.m. All cancer survivors and their caregivers are encouraged to attend. Williams said there will be a meal, a guest speaker and live entertainment. There will be an announcement forthcoming regarding the speaker and the live entertainment. The event is free to cancer survivors and their caregivers.
Williams said the deadline for sponsorship logos, T-shirts, team names, and Rosebush orders is Friday, March 29th, 2019. Teams and individuals are encouraged to enter their orders quickly.
There will also be two more meetings on Tuesday, April 9th, and again on Tuesday, April 23rd. Both meetings will be held at 6 p.m. in the Bladen County Public Library in Elizabethtown. Williams said the meeting on April 23rd will be open to team captains and committee chairmen only.
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