By Staff
LUMINARY SERVICE Edna Moore, left, Diane Griffin, Tara Holowka, Cody Griffin and Raquel Davis prepare luminary bags for tonight's Relay for Life at Ray Stadium. The luminary service is scheduled for 10 p.m. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Penny Randall / staff writer
June 7, 2002
There have been fish fries and spaghetti dinners, hundreds of barbecue pork and hamburger plates have been sold and we have all raided our closets looking for items to donate to rummage sales.
Months of effort to raise as much money as possible to help find a cure for cancer will culminate at the Relay for Life, set to kick off tonight, at 7 p.m., at Meridian High School's Ray Stadium.
Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society's largest fund-raising effort nationwide. The all-night walk-a-thon will include family-oriented events and competitions and is open to the public. Money raised by Relay for Life teams is used for services for cancer patients and their families, programs on cancer prevention and cancer research.
Meridian's first Relay for Life was in 1995, when 33 teams raised $68,000. Last year, the campaign raised $400,000 and was recognized nationally for its fund-raising success just as it was in the preceding three years. This year, 133 teams will fill Ray Stadium.