by April Scheinoha
Reporter
The Marshall/Pennington County Relay For Life will be held Friday, June 7, from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m., at the Pennington County Fairgrounds in Thief River Falls.
The tentative schedule of events features:
• 5 to 7 p.m. – Entertainment
• 5 to 6:30 p.m. – Community supper in the archery building on the fairgrounds. A freewill offering will be accepted.
• 5 p.m. – Survivor registration and the opening of the silent auction
• 7 p.m. – Opening ceremonies followed by the live auction
• Dusk – Luminaria ceremony
• 11:30 p.m. – Silent auction ends
The event features activities for everyone, including a dunk booth, an egg toss, kickball, face painting, a bouncy house and games. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.
Honorary co-chairpeople are Pam Cwikla and Jason Miller. Cwikla will talk about her life as a survivor and as a caregiver for her husband. Miller’s survivor story will also be read.
Marshall/Pennington County Relay For Life hopes to raise $55,000. Last year, the organization raised more than $47,000. Funds from the 2018 Marshall/Pennington County Relay For Life helped 28 residents receive 237 services of the ACS. These services included 211 nights of lodging at the Hotel Partners Program and Hope Lodge; emotional support programs like Reach to Recovery; hair loss and mastectomy products; and the Look Good Feel Better Program.
There is still time to register a team for the 2019 Relay For Life. No team is too big or too small to join. To register, contact Amber Holtan at amber.trfradio@gmail.com or 218-689-9405.
So far, this year’s teams include Cure Crazy, Chix from the Stix, Ribbon Runners, Fishing for a Cure, Team Hope, GFWC United for Life and The Relaticks.
Luminaries may be purchased from Holtan as well. She and fellow Relay For Life Committee members also encourage businesses and residents to paint the town purple June 1-8 in support of Relay For Life. Pictures of participating storefronts and residential yards may be submitted to Holtan at the above email address. Ideas include bows, streamers, balloons, posters, etc. The committee suggests that businesses encourage employees to wear purple June 7 to show their support.
The committee will judge the businesses’ and residents’ efforts June 5. The business winner and residential yard winner will be announced at Relay For Life. The business winner will receive a traveling trophy, and the residential yard winner will receive a small gift.
To paint the town purple, purple bows will also be placed along the double lanes of Third Street in Thief River Falls during that timeframe.
Those who would like to donate but are unable to attend Relay For Life may send donations to American Cancer Society Inc., North Region, Attention: Jennifer Ebert, 4646 Amber Valley Parkway, Fargo, ND 58104.
For more information, go to www.relayforlife.org/marshallcountymn.