Jefferson County Relay for Life welcomes ACS representatives, promotes sales for Daffodil Days
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STEUBENVILLE -- Area supporters involved in this year's Relay for Life of Jefferson County welcomed two new faces to the Jan. 9 planning meeting held at Eastern Gateway Community College, one of whom is the group's new American Cancer Society staff partner.
That is Rikki Batson of Struthers, ACS community development manager, who is filling the position vacant for several months after Eric Baker left for a job elsewhere.
Attending with Batson was her supervisor, Erin Matheson of Lorain County, senior manager, community development, who has been with the ACS for 10 years.
The two met with a small but enthusiastic group of relay advocates who have begun the planning for the 2018 event despite not having an event chair or co-chairs. It was a meeting that included introductions, updates, ideas and planning, including the promotion of the ACS Daffodil Days fundraiser.
The Relay for Life will be held June 16 at the Robert Kettlewell Memorial Stadium at Indian Creek High School in Wintersville -- a familiar location for the event -- but the time frame will shorten, getting started at 3 p.m. and ending at 11 p.m. The theme will be "Friends Don't Let Friends Fight Cancer Alone."
The survivors walk that celebrates area cancer survivors will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the relay with a meal for them provided afterward. Traditionally, the ceremonial survivors walk has been the opening lap of the event. The move to later would make it more convenient for them to be on hand for the luminaria ceremony, according to planners.
Batson, who began duties about a month ago and works out of the Canfield office, will be the ACS representative for the local relay in addition to ones planned in Carrollton, Niles and Columbiana. She previously worked for Akron Children's Hospital and the Children's Miracle Network.
"I am really excited to dive in to Relay for Life and have a successful relay season," Batson commented after the meeting. "My work with the Akron Children's Hospital and Children's Miracle Network has really set me up with the experience and passion for the position," she said. "I actually lost my uncle to cancer a couple years ago, and my aunt was recently diagnosed, and she's now a survivor of breast cancer," Batson continued, "so it's really near and dear to my heart, and I really love nonprofit work. I am passionate about helping everyone here."
Matheson pledged support for the local relay organizers.
"Whatever we can do to help you, we will," she said.
"Relay for Life is open to the public. We really encourage the community to come out and support it," Matheson said after the meeting. "It's a lot of fun. Everybody is welcome. It's a great time to honor loved ones you've lost or support those who are currently battling cancer. Relay is amazing, and I really encourage everybody to come to the luminaria ceremony especially. Once you see that, you're hooked. We are big on celebrating survivors," Matheson said.
She can be contacted by e-mail at Erin.Matheson@cancer.org.
A key fundraiser discussed was Daffodil Days with orders being taken through Feb. 5. The daffodil is the ACS symbol of hope. One bunch of daffodils is available for a $10 donation, while one potted mini-daffodil is available for a $15 donation. A "gift of hope" is a bouquet of daffodils, according to the promotional flyer, that can be delivered to a local cancer patient undergoing treatment with the donor's name included on a gift tag.
Orders will be available for pickup the week of March 18 with specifics to be finalized and announced. Checks can be made payable to the American Cancer Society and orders placed with relay team members or by contacting Batson by phone at (330) 318-4107 or by e-mail to Rikki.Batson@cancer.org.
For general information on the ACS visit the website cancer.org.
The relay had a presence in the Steubenville Christmas parade in an attempt to promote the community event. An effort is under way to generate interest and recruit sponsors and participants with "teams" in the nonathletic event made up of individuals who represent a church or organization, for example, or a business, service club, neighborhoods or fellow employees. The "teams" work to raise money individually and collectively.
Discussion at the meeting also included the need for disc jockey; a decision not to hold an auction at the relay; a schedule for live entertainment; the luminary ceremony with luminaria available for a $10 donation; and plans for the survivors walk to include the announcement of the survivors by name, how long they have been a survivor and from what type of cancer.
The next planning meeting, which anyone is welcome to attend, will be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 13 in room 2502 of Eastern Gateway Community College.