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.
Top Stories
Joplin Relay for Life returning to normalcy
- Top Stories
-
-
Federal, state leaders salute Joplin’s recovery
A deadly May twister may have punched a hole in Joplin and Duquesne two years ago, but the resolve to repair it will help other communities stand strong when they face similar disasters. That was the message of state and national diginitaries to a crowd of about 2,500 who observed the second anniversary of Joplin’s devastating May 22, 2011, storm during a ceremony Wednesday in Cunningham Park.
-
Content of book, students' access to it at issue in hearing for suspended teacher
A standing-room only crowd is present at the hearing this morning to decide the fate of suspended Joplin Middle School teacher Randy Turner, who has asked for the hearing before the board of education.
-
Demonstrators show support for suspended teacher
Most were carrying blue-and-white signs that said “Support Turner,” a reference to Randy Turner, a middle school teacher who was removed from his classroom and placed on administrative leave last month after an investigation by school district officials.
-
Southeast Kansas foundation accepts donations for Moore
The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas is accepting donations to assist the victims of the Moore, Okla., tornado.
-
Banner from Joplin to be sent to Moore residents
A giant vinyl banner adorned with heartfelt messages from Joplin tornado survivors to the residents of Moore, Okla., became a centerpiece of Wednesday’s observance of the two-year anniversary of the May 22, 2011, tornado.
-
Families in Moore, Joplin linked by disasters
Zach Woodcock knew the storms were going to be bad on May 22, 2011, so turning on the Weather Channel was a natural. What he saw filled him with fear. The Moore resident’s family lived in Joplin, Mo.
-
Nixon: Joplin offers 'a beacon of hope'
Two days ago, after seeing the devastating destruction in Oklahoma, Nixon said, "I believe that you are something else too, something the people of Moore need right now. A word we all remember seeing, in front of the old high school, made from duct tape: Hope.
-
Awards mark Joplin observance of tornado anniversary
Joplin will serve as the beacon for resilient recovery from a disaster to communities across the United States, including recently hit Moore, Okla., said the nation’s secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano.
-
Grant enables 20th Street Project to move forward
A $20 million grant from the Economic Development Administration, announced at Joplin's tornado anniversary event today, will enable the 20th Street Project and the building of a new Joplin Public Library to move forward.
-
Rick Rescorla award named for hero of Vietnam War, 9-11 terror attacks
The Rick Rescorla National Award for Resilience is named for a 62-year-old vice president of security for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co. who directed an evacuation of the company’s 2,700-person workforce in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2011.
- More Top Stories Headlines
-
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
Johnson: Don't Blame Islam or UK Policy
Raw: 80-Year-Old Climbs Mount Everest
Wash. State Man Arrested Following Ricin Scare
Chain-Reaction School Bus Crash Injures About 50
Raw: Scuffles in London After Hacking Death
Texas Students Coach Teachers on Fitness
New Forecasting Tool Eyed for Hurricane Season
Meet MJ, the Bike Riding Tabby Cat
Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam
Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge
Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe
Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor
School Storm Protection Spotty in Tornado Zones
Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
