Live active cultures

By Megan Durisin | The Bay City Times The Bay City Times

View full size Times file Luminaries start to line the track at Relay for Life at the Bay County Fairgrounds in 2009 in memory of loved ones who lost the battle to cancer.

BAY CITY —   Bay County Relay for Life events have raised more than $2 million for the American Cancer Society since 1995, and this year, event organizers are aiming to raise $170,000 more.

About 45 teams are participating in the Bay County Relay for Life from 9 a.m. to 9 a.m. July 23 and 24 at the Bay County Fairgrounds, 800 Livingston St.

Event organizer Brian Krause, whose wife, Lisa, is an oral cancer survivor, said this year’s event has a “Peace, Love and Hope” 1960s theme.

“Our main goal this year —  we want to honor survivors and caregivers and have a lot of fun,” he said.

This weekend, many participants are helping get the word out about Relay for Life during a “Paint The Town Purple” event, where they are painting purple cancer ribbons in the windows of downtown businesses.

Krause also expects Bay City Mayor Chris Shannon to declare next week “Bay County Relay for Life Week.”

Participation has increased from last year, when 34 teams participated, and Krause said they are working towards getting back to the 2005 record of 70 teams who raised $330,000 total for the cause.

“We’re trying to get back to that point,” he said.

While the relay runs a full 24 hours, Krause said participants do not have to walk the entire time and there are events planned every hour to add to the excitement.

This year’s Relay for Life features concerts from The Pear-it-Hedz, The Josh Ramses Band and Steve Armstrong and the 25 Cent Beer Band throughout the evening.

View full size Times file A giant sign reading “Hope” stands tall just outside the path at the Bay County Fairgrounds in Bay City for participants in the Relay for Life event in 2009.

At 5:00, all cancer survivors and caregivers are invited to be honored as they take a lap around the track, followed by a free catered dinner by Krzysiak’s House Restaurant.

There also is a luminaria ceremony at 9 p.m., which Krause, who has been involved with Relay for Life for ten years, calls the “biggest and most emotional part” of the day.

Krause said people have been buying luminaria bags throughout the year for cancer survivors, loved ones who have passed away from cancer and cancer caregivers.

The bags are decorated with the person’s name and their story and are placed around the track at the ceremony. Then, all participants receive a lit candle and take a lap around the track in their honor.

“If you ask people what they enjoy the most about relay, that’s the one part where people come to really remember,” Krause said.

The activities continue late into the night, with midnight Zumba, karaoke at 1 a.m. and Relay Olympics at 3 a.m. all on the agenda before a closing ceremony close to 9 a.m.

“The tagline for Relay for Life is “Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back,” Krause said. “We’re celebrating the life of those still with us, fighting back against cancer and remembering everybody that we lost.”

For more information about the event, visit www.relayforlife.org/baycountymi.

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