It was another emotional and successful Relay For Life at the Franklin County Fairgrounds earlier this month — hundreds of walkers and runners kept the track busy raising money for the American Cancer Society.
Franklin County has always been in the top five for our community size, raising money for nationally through Relay For Life.
One of the most special teams to walk each year is Dick’s Angels, which does an amazing job raising money by running fundraisers throughout the year.
This team has had a tough time, losing many family members to cancer, and they, like all of us, are hoping for a cure.
Teams like Dick’s Angels, which raise awareness about the severity of cancer in addition to fundraising, is a big reason why the local Relay For Life is so successful year after year.
Annually, many local businesses and local entertainment vendors donate their time to this event, contributing their efforts so participants can enjoy activities while they’re at the Relay.
The most emotional part of this event is the survivor’s lap, when you see a huge group of cancer survivors walk the first lap to kickoff the event.
Another emotional time is when the luminaries are illuminated at dusk. They light up the track with a soft glow. Many different families and community members write sayings on the bags or put on pictures of those who lost their lives to this awful disease. One local community organization that has made a particularly big commitment to the Relay For Life is The Rotary Club of Franklin County. Each year, team members manage a booth at the Franklin County Fair and serve food and beverages for the fair’s duration, including breakfast in the morning. The Rotary Club contributes a very generous donation to the Relay from the proceeds. In addition to the fair, this organization holds many other events throughout the year to raise money and give back to our community.
The next time someone asks you if you would like to donate to the Relay For Life, remember where it’s going: To hopefully find a cure to this deadly disease, which has affected so many families here in Franklin County and beyond.
To the Relay For Life’s committee, the local businesses and entertainment vendors that donated their time and goods during the event, the many walkers and The Rotary Clube of Franklin County, thank you for supporting this annual event. We truly have a wonderful and supportive community.
Thanks for reading Bobby’s World, sharing news of life and times here in Franklin County and about my crazy life in our community.
As a local personality for radio stations WHAI 98.3, Bear Country 95.3, WHMP 99.3 and Bobby C’s DJ Service for the past 36 years, Bobby C. Campbell has been connected to the community for a very long time. If you have an event that needs promotion or an idea for a future column, e-mail him at bobbyleslie25@gmail.com.