Relay for Life event raises excitement for 2016 endurance walk

From the luminaria bags to the lip sync performance, last week's kickoff event for Sky Valley Relay for Life offered attendees a small taste of what's to come, as organizers prepare for 2016.

The meeting was led by Sky Valley Relay for Life co-chairs Linda Pearl and Linda Huskey, both returning Relay participants from Monroe. The event provided information on how to become a team captain, the origins of Relay, fundraising ideas and sponsorship opportunities. It also featured entertainment, with Monroe students from the Relay team Evergreen Health Hawks 1 lip-syncing "Fight Song,GÇ¥ by Rachel Platten. The performance included three lip-syncing dancers, with several teens holding signs that said, "Together we can fight cancer.GÇ¥ -á -á

"Lip sync is one of my most favorite activities that we do at Relay,GÇ¥ Pearl said.

New Sky Valley Relay for Life committee member Caroline Sides of SidesSounds served as the DJ, and will be managing the lip sync competition during this year's Relay for Life. This year's Relay event takes place June 4GÇô5 at Monroe High School.

The American Cancer Society's (ACA) Relay for Life is the world's largest cancer fundraising effort. Relay participants around the world form teams, camp out in local parks and schools and spend the day and night walking either on trails or around a track. In order to help represent the reality that cancer never sleeps, each team strives to have one or more Relay participants walking on the track throughout the event.

In 2013, there were 4 million Relay participants worldwide.-á -á

Last year's Sky Valley Relay for Life event brought in a total of $118,700 and featured a total of 576 participants, including 86 survivors. This year organizers decided to up the stakes, raising the goal to $123,000.

"The money that we raise is helping people that live in our area, which is what I think is the coolest part,GÇ¥ Huskey said.

Last year, money raised through Relay for Life events in Snohomish County helped to fund 1,408 rides to treatment through the ACA's Road to Recovery program; 1,572 gas cards to cancer patients in need of gas money; 54 lodging nights through the Hope Lodge program and 185 Look Good Feel Better classes. It provided 270 pony tails for wigs, 100 of which came from the Sky Valley Relay for Life event.

Relay for Life events throughout Washington funded a total of 21 research grants.

This year's Sky Valley Relay for Life theme is "Lights, Camera, Relay,GÇ¥ and participants are encouraged to celebrate the theme however they wish. This year's fundraising slogan is "Silver saves lives,GÇ¥ and participants are being invited to hold coin fundraisers. Pearl explained that small Gatorade bottles hold $100 in-á quarters and small water bottles hold $100 worth of dimes.

For more information about Sky Valley Relay for Life, visit www.facebook.com/rflskyvalley/?fref=ts. The first team captain meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the East County Senior Center in Monroe.