Another record-breaking year

KIMBERLY BELLAMY
Staff reporter

July 23, 2008 10:29 am

— People gathered Tuesday night in Mobley Atrium of Edgecombe Community College for a time of reflection and recognition.
Survivors, family members, friends, supporters and contributors of Relay for Life met for the Edgecombe County Relay for Life Wrap-Up Celebration.
The celebration was high energy throughout the program with food, chanting, team brainstorming and the opportunity for teams to get their bragging rights during the awards portion.
The night started off with allowing everyone to go over and get food from a buffet. Cancer survivors were given the opportunity to serve themselves first.
The mouths filled with food didn’t slow anyone down from showing their enthusiasm about Relay for Life.
A few people chanted, “Can I have a 'relay'?” and “Relay!” was chanted in response.
As everyone was finishing up eating, Edgecombe County Relay for Life Chairwoman Pam Gould passed out red sheets of paper with Relay spelled out down the side vertically. The tables were given markers and asked to work together as a group to come up with words for each letter that represents the past relay season.
The team of tables came up with playful words as well as more serious words to describe their season.
Some of the more comical words were "rowdy," "Elvis," "long," "all night"and "yeah Relay." Some of the more serious words were "remember," "empowering," "luminary," "ambitious" and "yearly event."
Gould gave the crowd an explanation of why they did the team-building exercise.
“I wanted you to get into the frame of mind of why we’re here tonight,” she said.
Before the Relay for Life teams were awarded certificates and plaques, Gould shared that her friend and her friend’s co-worker were both recently diagnosed with leukemia.
“I don’t have to tell you our fight isn’t over,” Gould said.
Gould and one of the people in attendance spoke to everyone about how it is important to keep up the symbols that represent Relay for Life such as the purple ribbons.
“I want the purple fever to keep catching on. Our whole city needs to be painted purple,” Gould said.
After allowing the group to remember the relay season in more personal ways, Gould gave everyone a more technical reminder by revealing the figures of how much progress Edgecombe County made.
The initial goal of $223,000 – last year’s record total – was surpassed by more than $3,000. Edgecombe County set a record by raising $226,135.
Relay for Life also exceeded its goals for the number of teams and online fundraising.
The goal for teams was 38 and 41 teams were created, 10 of those being new sponsors. The online goal was $800 and $2,055 was raised.
“We did have an ambitious goal, and we made it and went pass it,” Gould said.
Other figures that were noted were the kid’s walk raising $2,024, luminaries raising $20,780 and having 265 participating survivors.
The revealing of the figures was followed by the awarding of certificates and plaques to corporate sponsors, non-corporate sponsors such as churches and individual teams.
The most raised by any team was $36,805 by Edgecombe County Schools.
Bosom Buddies raised $15,089 and Heritage Hospital raised $14,796.
Those teams had multiple team members but a lot of money was raised by a single-person team.
Cancer survivor Neil Skiles raised $3,956 independently. Skiles’ team was called Ding-a-ling because bells were used to raise money.
Two of the key players in Edgecombe County’s Relay for Life got the opportunity give appreciation to the participants.
Co-chairwoman of Relay for Life Phyllis Talbot was short and sweet with what she had to say.
“I really don’t have anything to say but thank you,” Talbot said.
District American Cancer Society representative Megan Shoaf had a few more words to say to thank everyone.
“Thank yall so much on behalf of the American Cancer Society for all you’ve done for this relay,” Shoaf said.
Shoaf recalled how impressed her boss was when having to walk from across the street to get to the Relay for Life event because it was so many people there. Shoaf said that was a first for her boss who hadn’t experienced that at other relays.
Although the celebration concluded this season, Gould was already looking ahead to next season.
“Relay isn’t over; it’s all year. I’m looking forward to next year, to it being bigger and better and I know the community will support our efforts,” Gould said. 

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