By Staff
Tracy B. Cieniewicz, Hartselle Enquirer
Months of planning and preparation are coming to a close as the city of Hartselle hosts its first American Cancer Society Relay For Life event this weekend.
The planning phase of the inaugural event ends tonight (Thursday) with "Bank Night" when teams meet at Regions Bank, 610 Main Street in Hartselle, at 5:30 p.m. to officially turn in all donations, registration dues, and luminaria orders. Team captains and members will receive prize incentive forms, event T-shirts and logistics information at the meeting.
Although Relay For Life Hartselle officially begins Friday at 6 p.m. at E.A.R.T.H. Park, teams will begin setting up tents and camp sites at noon in the downtown area. Parking will be available for all participants in the parking lot across from E.A.R.T.H. Park.
The following downtown streets will be closed from 3:30 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday: Barkley Street from Woodall to Hickory, Hickory from Sparkman to just behind Joe Roberts Store.
All area cancer survivors are invited to join in the Survivors Celebration on Friday, 4:30-5:45 p.m., hosted by the Brewer High School JROTC team at World Harvest Outreach Ministries, 117 Sparkman Street SW.
Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. Each guest of honor will be recognized with a gift and a light dinner. Following the celebration, each guest is invited to celebrate their victory over cancer by walking the Survivor Lap at 6:15 p.m. with other cancer survivors in their community and kickoff the city's first Relay For Life event.
"Be sure to come out for the Survivors Celebration," Elaine Balch, event co-chair, said. "You don't have to pre-register because a registration tent will be onsite. We want all survivors in the Hartselle community to be at this special event."
Luminarias will also be available for sale at the registration tent.
Twenty-one Relay Hartselle teams will celebrate survivorship will raising money and awareness for the fight against cancer from 6 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday, but a host of activities will be available for participants as well as the entire community.
"We'll have a lot of activities going on," Balch explained. "There will be karaoke, a scavenger hunt, games, a moon bounce, dry land skiing competition, and various local talent performing throughout the event. There will be something going on for the entire family all night."
Virtual teams can still be formed online and donations can be made at www.acsevents.org/relay/al/hartselle.
For more information on the 2006 Relay For Life Hartselle, the city's first American Cancer Society event, contact Elaine Balch at 355-5994.