By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The walkers in the Relay for Life stepped off Saturday morning under cloudy skies but with hope in their hearts.
“This is all about hope,” said Jerry Anderson, WTOL news anchor, as he started auctioning off gift baskets. The theme for the baskets was States of Hope.
Jerry Anderson begins auction of gift baskets.
As for so many participants, Liz Bostdorff, one of the three relay chairpersons, was drawn to the event because of personal experience. Her mother and others in her family battled cancer.
This is her fourth year participating.
“It’s fun and festive,” she said, “yet you know you’re rising money for an amazing cause.”
All the money raised goes to the American Cancer Society. The goal this year, she said, is $87,000. As of about noon Saturday, $53,000 had been raised. That’s a little ahead of previous year, Bostdorff said. Teams continue to raise money through the end of August.
“This is the centerpiece of the fundraising efforts,” she said.
This year, 24 teams are taking part. More than 300 participants and volunteers are involved in staging the Relay for Life.
This year, Bostdorff said, the length has been cut back to 12 hours, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Some found the 18-hour rally with its overnight stay too long. Still “it means a lot of things to jam into that time.”
The highlight, Bostdorff said, comes in the evening when luminaria are lit in honor and in memory of those who have had cancer.
The relay has found a home at Bowling Green High School where the track offers a good place for the walkers, and with plenty of place to sprawl. That includes a classic car show in a parking lot.
A committee member is involved in car shows and suggested staging one as part of the relay, Bostdorff said. This is its second year. “There’s something for everybody.”
Gina Fernbaugh, of Bowling Green, was on hand for the auction. She had participated for several years as a member of a team from the Wood County Educational Service Center where she is treasurer.
In 2014, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She’s now cancer free.
“Once you are diagnosed,” she said, “it takes on a different meaning.”
The event is both sad and happy. It’s sad, she said, to see how many people have been affected by cancer, those who have died, survivors and caregivers.
Yet, it is uplifting, Fernbaugh said, “to see so many people out, raising money to hopefully find a cure for cancer one day.”
