MONROE - For a quarter of a century, the American Cancer Society has been having an annual Relay For Life.
This year, in honor of the special anniversary, Relay For Life of Green County will be celebrating with "Quarters for a Cure" on Friday and Saturday at the Monroe High School track.
The object of the special event is to make a string of quarters around the quarter-mile track.
"We'll start by placing a quarter at the start line, and then anyone can come and place their quarters in line," said Dan DeMuth, committee chairman of Green County Relay for Life. "We hope to make it all the way around by the end of the night."
Quarters will be available for sale at the event, and people are encouraged to bring quarters with them.
Thirty-three teams have registered for the relay this year.
Relay for Life of Green County is hoping to raise more than $100,000 this year.
A quarter-mile of quarters is expected to bring in about $4,000.
Last year, 23 teams registered and raised $88,320.
"My goal is to get people out and hopefully stay all night long," DeMuth said.
DeMuth said people stayed all night at his first relay for life in Dubuque, Iowa. There, he was on a team because his mother had cancer.
People will be walking all night, DeMuth said. On some teams, members take turns walking, but on other teams, all members walk together.
"And we want to get the community out there, too," he said.
The event has plenty of other activities for families, including kids games and prizes, and a lot of pizza, sandwiches and "walking tacos."
"People should know, you know don't have to have cancer or be a survivor of cancer or even know anybody with cancer to come out and play some games and win prizes and eat a hot dog," DeMuth said.
The 18-hour event begins with opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. Friday. Area cancer survivors (anyone who ever has been diagnosed with cancer) will be honored at the event with the Survivors Lap at 6:30 p.m.
The Luminaria Celebration begins at 9 p.m. at the track. The luminaria represent those lost to cancer and honors those who have survived.
"It will be beautiful when all the bags with candles are illuminated around the track," said Betty Karlen, luminaria chair. "We hope to have enough luminaria to light the entire area."
The American Cancer Society has selected Lisa Anderson and Father Mike Klarer to serve as honorary co-chairs for this year's Relay For Life of Green County.
Anderson is a nurse in the Family Birth Center at the Monroe Clinic Hospital, and Klarer is the pastor at St. Victor Parish.
"They both touch people's lives on a daily basis, and we are honored to have them as co-chairs of this year's event," DeMuth said.
Teams of eight to 15 gather with tents and sleeping bags to participate in the largest fundraising walk in the nation. Teams seek sponsorship prior to the Relay, all with the goal of eliminating cancer.
The first relay event was held in Tacoma, Wash.
Anyone desiring to create a luminaria may do so by contacting Karlen at 325-7739 or stopping at Monroe Clinic Hospital. Each luminaria is available with a $5 donation. Information about creating a luminaria, forming a team, or walking in the Survivors Lap is available by calling Dan DeMuth at 325-2762.
For more information regarding the Relay For Life of Green County, go to www.relayforlife.org/greencountywi.
This year, in honor of the special anniversary, Relay For Life of Green County will be celebrating with "Quarters for a Cure" on Friday and Saturday at the Monroe High School track.
The object of the special event is to make a string of quarters around the quarter-mile track.
"We'll start by placing a quarter at the start line, and then anyone can come and place their quarters in line," said Dan DeMuth, committee chairman of Green County Relay for Life. "We hope to make it all the way around by the end of the night."
Quarters will be available for sale at the event, and people are encouraged to bring quarters with them.
Thirty-three teams have registered for the relay this year.
Relay for Life of Green County is hoping to raise more than $100,000 this year.
A quarter-mile of quarters is expected to bring in about $4,000.
Last year, 23 teams registered and raised $88,320.
"My goal is to get people out and hopefully stay all night long," DeMuth said.
DeMuth said people stayed all night at his first relay for life in Dubuque, Iowa. There, he was on a team because his mother had cancer.
People will be walking all night, DeMuth said. On some teams, members take turns walking, but on other teams, all members walk together.
"And we want to get the community out there, too," he said.
The event has plenty of other activities for families, including kids games and prizes, and a lot of pizza, sandwiches and "walking tacos."
"People should know, you know don't have to have cancer or be a survivor of cancer or even know anybody with cancer to come out and play some games and win prizes and eat a hot dog," DeMuth said.
The 18-hour event begins with opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. Friday. Area cancer survivors (anyone who ever has been diagnosed with cancer) will be honored at the event with the Survivors Lap at 6:30 p.m.
The Luminaria Celebration begins at 9 p.m. at the track. The luminaria represent those lost to cancer and honors those who have survived.
"It will be beautiful when all the bags with candles are illuminated around the track," said Betty Karlen, luminaria chair. "We hope to have enough luminaria to light the entire area."
The American Cancer Society has selected Lisa Anderson and Father Mike Klarer to serve as honorary co-chairs for this year's Relay For Life of Green County.
Anderson is a nurse in the Family Birth Center at the Monroe Clinic Hospital, and Klarer is the pastor at St. Victor Parish.
"They both touch people's lives on a daily basis, and we are honored to have them as co-chairs of this year's event," DeMuth said.
Teams of eight to 15 gather with tents and sleeping bags to participate in the largest fundraising walk in the nation. Teams seek sponsorship prior to the Relay, all with the goal of eliminating cancer.
The first relay event was held in Tacoma, Wash.
Anyone desiring to create a luminaria may do so by contacting Karlen at 325-7739 or stopping at Monroe Clinic Hospital. Each luminaria is available with a $5 donation. Information about creating a luminaria, forming a team, or walking in the Survivors Lap is available by calling Dan DeMuth at 325-2762.
For more information regarding the Relay For Life of Green County, go to www.relayforlife.org/greencountywi.