Get Ready to Relay in Hardeman County

Relay for Life teams in Hardeman County have begun preparations for the annual Relay for Life Celebration on May 5.
The event will be from 4:00-10:00 p.m. at the Bolivar Farmers Market. Teams will raise money for the American Cancer Society through booths and activities that reflect the theme “Give Cancer the Boot.”
The headlining entertainment for the night will be the Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Blues Band. Other entertainers scheduled to perform include Chase Antwine and several churches will perform gospel numbers.
The American Cancer Society’s mission is to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer. The hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one day cancer will be eliminated.
Each year, more than 5,000 Relay For Life events take place in over twenty countries. Events are held in local communities, campus universities and in virtual worlds.
In May 1985, Dr. Gordon Klatt, a colorectal surgeon from Tacoma, Washington, decided he wanted to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Because he enjoyed marathons, Klatt walked around the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington for 24 hours. Throughout the night, friends paid $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him. He walked approximately 83 miles and raised $27,000 for cancer research. Nearly 300 of Klatt’s friends, family, and patients watched as he ran and walked the course. After this event, Klatt thought about how other people could participate in a similar event in their own community. He recruited a small team of people to host the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer.