CATAWISSA RR - Members of the Southern Columbia Area (SCA) Relay for Life committee have decided to make some changes to the event in hopes of attracting more participants and a larger audience.
While Relays are usually 24 hours, committee member Brian Major explained the May 31 event at the SCA athletic complex will be 15 hours, 9 a.m. until midnight that Friday.
"We wanted to make it more appealing for people to come and see and participate. Attendance has been going down," he said. "Our hope, by condensing it, is we can get people from the community to come. We're hoping for more of a celebration."
Last year, the event was cut short by severe thunderstorms. The shorter event took a lot of stress off the organizers who usually stay awake for the full event, Major said.
Furthermore, he said, the distance from the outlying communities to the school district campus is a factor in the low attendance. Community members who leave don't always want to come back later for additional events.
Others downsize
The SCA Relay is not the only local relay to make some changes this year. This year's Mount Carmel Relay for Life is set for June 22 to 23 at town park instead of the Silver Bowl. Line Mountain Relay for Life will be holding an event later this summer, most likely in September, due to scheduling conflicts. It has already downsized from the high school to Himmels Church Grove in Rebuck.
Shamokin Relay for Life will be held June 7 and 8 at Kemp Memorial Field, as usual.
Student involvement
Not only has the time for SCA's relay changed, but so has the format. The first six hours will be geared toward district students who will be in class that day. Each class will be brought to the track one at a time for educational purposes. There will different stations for students to learn about various topics, such as protection from the sun to avoid skin cancer and the dangers of lung cancer from smoking. There will also be games.
At 3 p.m., the opening lap for the community will begin, in which school students and staff will be joined by relay teams and members of the public.
This year's theme is "We Can Be Heroes." Teams are encouraged to dress up as their favorite superheroes and dress their tents up likewise.
"We can all be heroes in the fight against cancers, so don't just let somebody else do it," Major said.
The goal is $42,500, and the teams have already raised more than $27,600 as of this week.
Other events during the Relay include flag football, amazing race, relay idol singing competition, dodgeball performances by Deuce and Pet Rock and the popular luminary service.
The three chairwomen this year are Sherri McDonald, Lauren Day and Karen Marinelli.
Schedule
9 a.m.: Relay recess and school-wide relay
3 p.m.: Community opening lap
4 p.m.: Flag football
3:30 to 7 p.m.: Pork BBQ sandwich pick up
3:45 p.m.: Amazing Race (teams of two)
4:30 p.m.: Relay Idol audition
4:45 p.m. Survivor/caregiver meal
5:30 p.m.: Cancer prevention education
6 p.m.: Honorary survivor speech
6:15 p.m.: Survivor/caregiver lap with butterfly release
6:30 p.m.: Relay Idol competition
6:45 p.m.: Dodgeball
7 p.m.: 5K Twilight remembrance of life run/walk ($15)
7:45 p.m.: Performance by Deuce
9 p.m.: Luminary program (featuring SCA Gospel Choir)
10:15 p.m.: Performance by Pet Rock
11 p.m.: Pizza party
11:45 p.m.: Closing ceremonies