Whether it’s walking in good company, devouring a cupcake,
listening to a band, purchasing a piece of fabulous jewelry,
donating your hair, enjoying a cup of hot coffee or making a male
teammate dress up as a woman, the solid 24 hours of nonstop
activities kicking off Friday makes supporting a good cause easy
and fun.
Whether it’s walking in good company, devouring a cupcake, listening to a band, purchasing a piece of fabulous jewelry, donating your hair, enjoying a cup of hot coffee or making a male teammate dress up as a woman, the solid 24 hours of nonstop activities kicking off Friday makes supporting a good cause easy and fun.
The 2011 Relay For Life will take place from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday in Gilroy at Christmas Hill Park at 7049 Miller Ave. All proceeds go directly to the American Cancer Society.
Relay For Life is an event that takes place around the globe and claims to be “the largest movement to end the disease,” according to the organization. Teams of people camp out at a local high school, park or fairground, then take turns walking or running around a track or path. Signifying the fact “cancer never sleeps,” relays are overnight, last 24 hours and require each team to have a representative on the track at all times during the event, according to the organization.
“It’s like a little town in there,” said Ann Marie Lopez, describing the atmosphere filled with makeshift campsites, vendors and entertainers.
A repeat participant, Lopez reminds “you don’t have to have cancer to be there. Nobody I know knows anybody anymore that hasn’t had cancer or hasn’t been affected by it.”
Lopez will participate with her team “Judy’s Crew” in memory of her aunt, who succumbed to cancer in 2006.
“When we all lost her we felt so helpless, but this gives us a chance to feel like we’re fighting back,” she said. “We’re picking up where she left off.”
Online Chair Contact Manuel Haro says the relay is a family-centered event featuring bands, entertainment, laser tag, a boxcar race, Relay Idol show, karaoke and a children’s area with arts and crafts.
Participants will have the opportunity at 2 p.m. to get a haircut from Image and Design stylists, who will donate the hair to Locks of Love. The nonprofit organization provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children younger than age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis, according to the organization.
Also taking place at 2 p.m. is the Miss Relay Competition, a crowd favorite Haro says involves a male member from each team dressing up as a woman and doing his best to collect dollar bill donations from attendees.
The Luminaria Ceremony – the event’s reflective and emblematic trademark gesture – will light up the evening at 9 p.m. when hundreds of lanterns bearing the names of cancer victims guide the way for walkers during a silent lap.
Concessions will be available throughout the night including popcorn, pastries, strawberry shortcake, soups, lemonade, nachos, hot dogs and more.
“People will stop by in their blankets and slippers,” said Lopez. “We definitely would love to see people walk in for no other reason than to support it. Anything you buy goes to the relay.”
As of Tuesday there are 455 people signed up constituting 50 different teams. With the overall goal set at $125,000, Lopez says participants have raised $66,367 so far.
“If we get about 10 or 20 percent more, we’re at about 75 percent of our goal,” says Haro. “Based on that, we usually sell a lot of food, so we may get close to reaching our goal or passing it.”
Relay For Life in Gilroy
– The 2011 Relay For Life will take place from 6 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at Christmas Hill Park at 7049 Miller Ave., with all proceeds going directly to the American Cancer Society
– Opening ceremonies: 6 p.m. Friday
– Survivor’s lap: 6:30 p.m. Friday
– Luminaria ceremony: 9 p.m. Friday
– Complimentary survivor breakfast: 8 to10 a.m. Saturday
– Second survivor’s lap: 10 a.m. Saturday
– Locks of Love haircuts; Miss Relay Competition: 2 p.m. Saturday
– Fight back/Closing ceremony: 5 p.m. Saturday
– To donate or register a team, visit: relayforlife.org/gilroyca
– Details: email Manuel Haro at mh*********************@***il.com
