CULLMAN, Ala. – Relay For Life of Cullman County will hold its 2020 Relay Kickoff meeting Thursday, Jan. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of First Baptist Church of Cullman. The 27th annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society will be held Friday, May 1 from 6 p.m.-midnight at the Cullman County Fairgrounds.
“Each year, hundreds of local volunteers, survivors and caregivers gather to honor and remember those who have been affected by cancer and to raise funds that are used to support research, patient services, prevention and advocacy,” said Helen Allen, lead of the volunteer committee that plans Relay For Life of Cullman County each year. “Unfortunately, we all know someone who has been affected by cancer in some way. Most of those have benefited from the efforts of the American Cancer Society (ACS) in some way, either through treatments, testing procedures that led to early detection, information available 24/7 through the ACS website and hotline and more.”
A larger part of the Relay experience is honoring cancer survivors and remembering those lost to the disease. Each year, teams sell luminaries dedicated in honor of or in memory of a loved one, as well as luminaries dedicated to the caregivers who help their loved ones through their battle. There are also Torches of Hope, also sold in in honor or in memory of those affected or battling cancer. These torches are displayed at Relay For Life and then taken home by the buyers to display at their homes. Anyone interested in purchasing luminaries or Torches of Hope for their loved ones can contact a Relay team or visit the Relay For Life of Cullman County website, www.relayforlife.org/cullmanal.
Information about the 2020 Relay For Life event will be available at the Thursday, Jan. 16 meeting at First Baptist Church of Cullman. Past and new Relay teams are encouraged to attend. The meeting is open to the public.
Guest speaker will be Roy Nagle of Phil Campbell, a Voice of Hope speaker for the ACS. A three-year survivor of Stage 4 throat cancer, Nagle will discuss his journey through cancer, how he benefited from his stay at the ACS-supported Joe Lee Griffin Hope Lodge in Birmingham and his involvement in Relay For Life.
Teams who have not registered for the event or anyone seeking more information about it can visit www.relayforlife.org/cullmanal or contact Helen Allen at 256-709-4019.
