Every year the Morton Relay For Life Committee and its teams create an outstanding community event. This year, as we celebrate the 10-year anniversary, is no exception. Our Relay will hold an opening ceremony noon Saturday and last for 20 hours. Some folks set up campsites and spend the night, but there is a lot that you can enjoy just by coming out for a couple of hours.
At 1 p.m. Saturday lots of carnival games for the kids, jumpy houses, car smashing and a vendor fair open. There will be lots of people you know that you can join on the track as they circle around demonstrating their dedication to the cause of finding a cure for cancer.
All of the teams gather great treasures throughout the year and display them for sale in the silent auction. You don’t need a number, just your name and phone number will do. Bidding will continue until 7 p.m., so you might want to check back often to make sure you take home that special prize.
Sharpen your “Minute to Win It” skills. There will be four contests on Saturday. Sign up will begin at 1 p.m. with the first contest immediately following.
Kids ages 3 to 12 are welcome to join in the Mini Relay Youth Walk. There are T-shirts, games and the children take to the track to have their very own “Kids Only” lap. Registration starts at 2:30 p.m.; the walk begins at 3 p.m.
From the Field Cooking School will provide the food for the Relay Café. Bill Turney has a way of making fabulous healthy food delicious and he has kept the prices very reasonable so you can bring the whole family out for lunch or dinner Saturday.
At 6 p.m. the cancer survivors are honored as your friends and neighbors take the track for an inspiring lap of hope. At 7 p.m. the “Outlaw Train Band” (formerly known as Hazard County) will take the stage and entertain us with a mix of country and rock-and-roll classics.
The luminaria ceremony, which starts at 9:30 p.m., is a way of honoring cancer survivors and those who have lost their battle by lining the track with glowing bags filled with hope and love.
Sunday morning at 7 a.m. breakfast is being served by the Morton Knights of Columbus men. This all-you-can-eat meal of pancakes, sausage, milk, juice or coffee is only $6 for adults and $3 for kids 10 and younger. They will be serving until 9 a.m. and all proceeds go to the Relay fund.
If you haven’t been to a Morton Relay For Life event for a couple of years, this would be a good year to return and see what is going on. This mini-festival is a celebration of life, but it raises money for research for a disease that affects all our lives. Join us, won’t you? You will be pleasantly surprised.
