Events and Activities : Relay for Life: A time to remember, celebrate and fight back against cancer

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Benton County will be Friday, June 13, at the Benton Community High School Track, Van Horne. The west entrance to the track is on north Main Street and, weather permitting, parking will be on the grass south of the track. The opening ceremony is at 6 p.m. Benton County American Legion members will participate in the flag raising. Van Horne city officials will welcome the Relay to Van Horne. The Rev. David Lingard, St. Andrew Lutheran, will have the invocation and Jon DeGraff will sing the national anthem. Center Stage Productions will emcee and provide music throughout the evening. Seating will be in the bleachers or bring a lawn chair. Everyone is welcome to enjoy the activities of the evening. Refreshments will be available. CELEBRATE The Survivor Celebration will begin at 7 p.m. with Theresa Thompson telling her survivor story. Who is a survivor? A survivor is anyone who has ever heard the words "You have cancer!" All cancer survivors in the county are invited to attend the Relay For Life because YOU are the reason we Relay! You are the guest of honor. If you are planning to take part in this celebration, you should contact Frieda Davis (472-5348) and register as soon as you arrive at the track. When you register you will be given a marble for each year of survival. When your name is read and the number of birthdays you have celebrated since your diagnosis, you will put your marbles in a clear vase so people can see the years of survival of those participating. The goal is to create a world where more people survive cancer, so they can celebrate another birthday. This year, more than 14 million people will be able to do that, thanks to the support of dedicated Relay participants in communities, counties and states across the nation. After the Survivor Celebration lap, there will be another lap for families and caregivers and then a drawing and one lucky survivor will win a birthday cake. Besides walking, other activities planned are face and nail painting, frozen t-shirt contests, yard games and the Balloon Lady will entertain. There will also be a quilt raffle. REMEMBER At dusk, the luminaria ceremony will begin with the lighting of the candles in each luminaria bag circling the track. Each bag bears the name of someone who has battled cancer, some to celebrate survivors and others to honor and remember loved ones gone too soon. A new feature, Light your own Luminaria, will be available this year. Anyone who has purchased a luminaria may go out on the track and as the name is read, light the candle. The committee is asking those who have purchased daffodils in the past to replace that donation with a luminaria or a donation to the Relay. A luminaria form is in this weeks paper or contact Sally Donald (228-8148) or your local ACS volunteer.We are also asking everyone attending to bring a can of food (approximately 14 ounces) to hold the candle in the bag. All canned goods will be donated to the county food banks. FIGHT BACK Eighteen teams are registered to walk this year. Sponsors for the Relay For Life to date are: HOPE ($600 and up) – Star Press Union, Watkins Saving Bank, Belle Plaine Rotary Club, Center Stage Productions FAITH: ($400 to $599) – Atkins Lumber Company Inc., Cedar Valley Farms LLC COURAGE: ($200 to $399) – Atkins Savings Bank and Trust, Grieder Standard Service, Coon Creek Telephone Company, Van Horne Cooperative Telephone Co., Precision Sheet Metal, Clingman Pharmacy, Coots Materials Co. Inc., Eden Mutual Insurance Association; Thrivent Financial/Benton County 31120; Rabe Hardware Inc., Dr. Mark Siebrecht, Vinton Kiwanis Club, Garling Construction, Vinton Newspapers/Livewire, Johnson Insurance, Country Foods, Iowa Mold & Engineering, Wilson/Hite Insurance, Afton Marie Photography, Titan Machinery, Virginia Gay Hospital TRACK ($150) – Dave Vogel Enterprises, Farmers Savings Bank & Trust, MidWestOne Bank, O’Grady Chemical Corp., Blairstown Quick Stop, Keystone Savings Bank and Keystone Communications. The closing ceremony will be at 10 p.m.