By June Mathews
Even though the 2013 Relay For Life of East Jefferson is not until mid-May, plans for the event have been under way for several months, according to committee chair Sandi Wilson.
“Our last year’s event was hardly over before we started planning for this one,” she said, “and we’ve already done a good bit of fundraising toward meeting our 2013 goal of $50,000. We held a car show and sponsored a Jazzercise fundraiser in the fall, and we’ve been selling our new Husky and Cougar T-shirts right and left. We’ve also participated in some local events, like the Trussville Christmas parade, to increase our visibility in the community.
“People tend to think Relay is a one-day thing, but we work hard at it all year long.”
Next on the agenda, Wilson said, is the annual kickoff event, which is Saturday from 11 a.m
. to 1 p.m. at the Trussville Civic Center.
Participants walk the survivors lap during the 2012 Relay for Life of East Jefferson.
file photo by Scott Buttram
“Kickoff is a fun time for people to come and sign up their teams and learn about other Relay-related activities,” Wilson said. “We’ll also take this opportunity to let folks know how their Relay dollars are spent and why it’s so important that we join in the fight against cancer. On some level, whether personally or through a family member or friend, we’re all affected by cancer, and it’s going to take all of us to win the battle.”
The kickoff will feature food from Gigi’s Cupcakes and Jim ‘N Nicks BBQ, entertainment by young singer Brinkley Rackstraw, and appearances by the Hewitt-Trussville cheerleaders and Trussville’s own Hero of Hope, Amy Kuhn.
The 2013 Relay For Life of East Jefferson is May 17 at the Trussville Youth Football field. The event committee hopes to recruit at least 30 teams this year.
Special moments during a typical Relay event include a luminaria ceremony, a fight back ceremony and a survivors lap.
For more information on upcoming Relay For Life of East Jefferson events and how you can get involved, visit www.relayforlife.org/eastjefferson or “Like” the 2013 Relay For Life of East Jefferson page on Facebook.
