RUMFORD – Rumford area residents staged the annual Relay for Life this weekend at Hosmer field, the seventh time locals have participated in the American Cancer Society’s signature event.
Running from Friday afternoon into Saturday here, the Relay featured 18 straight hours of activities and entertainment for hundreds of participants.
“You really don’t sleep at these things; you just go,” said Louise Jarvis, an organizer of the Relay’s silent auction.
Relay teams with names such as Devin’s Wings and Gene’s Team came from throughout Oxford County to support cancer research. Organizers said there were two dozen teams with between 15 and 40 members on each. More than 400 walkers took part in the Relay.
Besides the Relay, other activities encouraged awareness and camaraderie, such as a 1 a.m. brownie sundae party and a tricycle race for kids.
Highlights included an opening celebration for the 144 cancer survivors on hand and a luminaria ceremony in which friends and family placed candles around the Hosmer track to recognize loved ones stricken by cancer.
One participant put the number of luminarias at 2,667, nearly 500 more than were set out last year. Organizers said the number emphasizes how many people are affected by cancer.
Like many participants, Relay for Life Chairwoman Diane Mitchell became involved with the ACS fund-raiser when some of her loved ones fell victim to cancer. “My sister-and-law and I did some research and we found that 22 of our family members have died of cancer,” said Mitchell.
This is it’
She began looking for a way to help fight the disease when she found Relay for Life. “I found out that 75 percent of the money raised goes to fund research, and I said This is it.'”
Mitchell and Co-chairman Peggy Briggette said the Rumford Relay for Life is run solely on volunteer work and donations. Work on next year’s Relay starts in only two months.
Mitchell and Briggette were happy with this year’s events.
“We have definitely had more people than last year,” said Briggette.
So many that the owners of Holme’s market in Dixfield got a call around midnight Friday because food had run low and people were hungry. “They were great,” said Briggette. “They went down to the store and brought us trays of bread and sliced ham and cheese.”
Although the final numbers are not ready, Mitchell said she believes fund-raising will top last year’s total of $53,000.
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