Relay for Life returns with new date, location

Jun. 24—The Crawford County Relay for Life was upended last year when local volunteers learned the paid position with American Cancer Society who was supposed to help organize the event was eliminated due to cutbacks.

It was only thanks to a group of volunteers who banded together to organize the relay that it took place at all.

Now, those same volunteers have organized the charity event once more, though with a new date and a return to a former location.

The 2022 Crawford County Relay for Life is Saturday, running from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., at the Crawford County Fairgrounds. Last year the event took place in September and occurred at a soccer field on Mercer Street in Meadville. The event had taken place at the fairgrounds in years past.

"We're really excited it's back up at our old space," said Breanna Gallagher, a member of the planning committee.

Tiffany Donor, another member of the planning committee for the relay, said it was a challenge to reorganize the event in so short a time. With the last relay occurring in September, that left only nine months to get the race ready again, rather than the usual full year.

Nevertheless, the relay will be making a much bigger return.

"This year, we're trying to bring back some of the original attractions," Donor said. "So we have a DJ that's going to play the whole time. We're still having our Survivor Walk and Silent Walk at dusk."

Krysta Simons, another committee member, said the group is very happy to have the Survivor's Dinner back up and running. The dinner was a challenge during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while the dinner is not quite what it was, Julian's Bar & Grill in Meadville is providing assistance.

Donor said the relay organizers have a full schedule of events and features set to take place, including a scavenger hunt, corn hole tournament, root beer floats offered by the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute and more.

That isn't to say things are entirely back to the years before the local relay became a volunteer effort. The event is down to only six teams participating, though no less dedicated.

"We're still small, but we're very mighty," Donor said.

Simons credited Donor with being a major reason the event is still being organized.

"Tiffany is very driven and very passionate about this cause," she said.

Of course, the event is all in the name of helping people battling cancer. Money raised through the relay helps provide funding to cancer patients for various needs, including transportation for treatment and caregiver support, to even researching treatments and potential cures.

Ginelle Gillette, another member of the planning committee, said she takes part in the relay out of remembrance of her father, who was diagnosed with melanoma. Her team, originally called Dedicated to Dad and now renamed Family Matters, is in recognition of all the team members' families who have been affected by cancer.

"It's in remembrance of him and honoring him and honoring the survivors that are part of the family," Gillette said.

The relay has become something of a family tradition in Gillette's family, with her kids coming back home to take part.

With the event returning to its original venue, Gillette is hopeful that it will begin climbing back to its former glory.

"We're hoping that we can keep it going, that we can have more teams come on board, that some of the teams from the past come back," she said.

Donor said organizers have set a goal of around $30,000 for the relay this year, close to what they raised last year of $36,750.60. While a big help for cancer patients, it is smaller than in past years. When the local relay had a paid partner to help organize, it would raise around $100,000, Donor said.

It's a smaller amount, but ones the organizers hope to build in coming years as they attempt to get more people involved. Donor said the "determination to not let it fizzle out" is what has kept the Crawford County Relay for Life going after the loss of the paid partner, a refusal to have the event stop.

Gillette encouraged as many members of the public who can come out to do so. She called the relay "a fun time and a meaningful time because everybody — everybody — has been touched by cancer in some way."

Even with the event set to take place tomorrow, there is still time for survivors or teams who wish to take part in the relay to register. Anyone interested in joining the relay can register to do so at https://secure.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY22VirtualEvents?pg=entry&fr_id=102730.

Meanwhile, attending the event to enjoy the attractions is free and open to the public. The relay will be taking place at the fairgrounds' dairy barn, so those interested should enter through Gate 3.

The Survivor Dinner will occur at 5 p.m., followed by the Survivor Lap at 5:30. The Luminaries Ceremony will take place at 9 p.m., and the Silent Lap will follow at 9:30.

Sean P. Ray can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at .