By by Lee Weyhrich
Relay For Life is only a few days away and according to area director Annice Barnhill there will be a lot to keep visitors entertained.
"I'm the area director and I'm also a team captain for Gospel light Church, and I'm on the committee for team recruitment," Barnhill said.
The event will begin with the survivor's reception at 5:30 p.m. through 6:45 p.m. Friday evening.
"Opening ceremonies will begin at 7 p.m.," Barnhill said. "We will have a survivor's lap in the opening ceremonies as well as a caregivers' lap."
Each team will create a campsite that will be their base of operations for the night. The teams will also be judged based on how well their campsites are decorated.
"We will do our team photos and the judging of the team camp sight," Barnhill said. "We will vote based on best food, best displayed cancer facts and best team baton."
After the camp sites are judged there will be a musical performance by Lana Langford beginning at 8 p.m. After that participants will provide some entertainment.
"We have something new this year 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.," Barnhill said. "This year we're having our Relay Idol contest, where anyone can participate for a $5 entry fee. Anyone whatever there talent might be, whether they sing or dance or whatever, can participate. It's similar to American idol. The judges will be the audience."
There will be a luminaria ceremony from 9:30 p.m. until 10:15 p.m. after Relay Idol. The luminaria ceremony will be in remembrance of those who have lost their battle to cancer and the ones that are still fighting it."
From 10:15 until the event closes teams will face off against each other in a variety of contests.
"From 10:15 p.m. until 11 p.m. we will have spirit games, which are really fun games for the teams to participate in, and a scavenger hunt," Barnhill said. "From 11 p.m. until midnight we have the womanless beauty pageant."
Awards from these events will be given at midnight. And after that teams will compete against each other in team spirit games.
The fun and games are there to entertain, but they are also there to celebrate the strides that have been made in cancer research.
"Relay is a celebration celebrating what we've been able to do in the community supporting the American Cancer Society and just the hard work that has been done by the chair and the teams," Barnhill said.