JOPLIN, Mo. —
After a low-key event last summer, Joplin’s Relay for Life, an annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, is back.
“This year, it’s really a celebration of fighting through and still standing,” said Joette Blades, community manager.
Relay for Life kicks off at 11 a.m. today; the opening ceremony begins at 11:30 a.m. The survivor lap and other survivor activities begin at 6 p.m., and the luminaria ceremony that honors cancer patients begins at 9:30 p.m. The event will wrap up by midnight.
Relay for Life will be staged this year for the first time at the newly rebuilt Cunningham Park, which was devastated in the May 22 tornado. In years past, the event has been held at Missouri Southern State University and Junge Field.
“We wanted to do it there because it’s been such an important part of the city, and so many special things have been held there,” Blades said of the park. “We feel like this way we’re more part of the city.”
The day will include performances by Felonious Monk, Offset Sunset and the Duke Mason Band. As part of the “County Fair” theme, Blades and event chairwoman Tina Johnson will compete in a kiss-a-pig contest.
Blades said participants are encouraged to bring water guns to beat the heat. Temperatures today are expected to reach 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
“We are concerned about it (the heat),” Blades said. “Of course we’ll be watching everybody really closely and making sure everybody stays hydrated. We just know the cancer patients, no matter how tough their fight gets, they can’t walk away from it, and no matter what the weather brings, we’re going to get out there and fight.”
As of Friday morning, 21 teams were registered and had already raised nearly $30,000, Blades said. The largest team, from Best Buy, boasts about 80 participants, she said.
Relay for Life was scaled back last summer after the tornado, and participants met for only about three hours. Their focus hadn’t been on fundraising, but rather on checking on each other and being together, Blades said. This year’s event marks a return to some kind of normalcy.
“We’ve reached out to people (when) we knew where they were; people have called us and said, ‘Hey, we want to get back in the fight,’ and I think that’s meant more to us than anything,” Blades said. “In spite of everything that Joplin’s been through, they still want to get together, and raise money for cancer patients and research, and help find a cure.”
Guest speaker
Ron Leek, a cancer survivor who underwent a laryngectomy, or the removal of the larynx, will share his story with participants at Joplin’s Relay for Life.
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