CARIBOU, Maine — The Relay for Life event was held at the Caribou High School on June 6. The major fund-raising event took place on the running track at the Caribou High School, where the opening Survivor Lap kicked off the first hour of the all-night event.
The Survivor Lap began at 6 p.m. as cancer survivors marched hand-in-hand with friends, family and loved ones who have all been affected one way or another by the horrible disease. The track was lined with vendors and tents belonging to fund-raising teams who came out to support the Relay for Life event, which kept those in attendance making laps for much of the 14-hour event.
After the Survivor Lap, Survivor Hour was officially underway by 7 p.m., as many gathered for a reception in the main tent. Shelly Hewitt, a member of the Fight Back Pledge team, was in attendance during the reception, and spoke of the many fun events that were still to come throughout the night.
“We always choose a theme for our Relay events and this year we’ve decided to go with a holiday theme,” said Hewitt. “The reception is really a great way to start the night, but as the night goes on things will get a little more exciting.”
As Hewitt accurately predicted, the event did get even more exciting as the night progressed. By 9 p.m. it was Superhero Hour, where everyone in attendance was afforded the opportunity to dress up like their favorite superhero, as they made their way around the relay track. This was especially important for the Relay event this year because each hour a costume contest would take place, in which everyone who is dressed in a costume can accept donations from people while walking the track during that hour; it could range from loose change or dollar bills. At the end of each hour, Theme Hour participants were called on stage and their costumes were judged by the crowd. After members of the crowd picked a winner for the best costume, that person would win all the donations collected in that hour for their team.
The Huber Engineered Woods’ “Building on a Cure” team was just one of the many fund-raising teams who got involved in the fight against cancer on June 8, as they set up a tent to sell doughboys and hold a number of different raffles to raise money. Team captain Galen O’Leary spoke about all the things his team did this year leading up to, and during the Relay for Life event.
“We did a couple of fund raisers for the Huber team. We had a six-team basketball tournament in which we worked closely with McCain’s to get teams together,” said O’Leary. “We had a couple of team members that did fundraising with other Relay teams as well. Many of the team members raised at least $100 each towards our goal of $5,000.”
One young team member named Wendall Boyd, who is an 8-year-old cancer survivor raised a total of $1,330 on his way to winning a $50 iTunes gift card for raising the most money on the Huber team. Boyd’s cousin Danielle Brewer spoke about how inspirational the young cancer survivor has been to their team.
“My cousin, Wendell Boyd, joined our team this year. He raised a total of $1,330,” said Brewer. “Wendell survived a brain tumor in 2012 and wanted to help raise money so other kids and family members wouldn’t have to go through the same thing. He has been an inspiration to us all.”
Boyd did more than his share of work when it came to raising money for the cause, as he spent a great deal of time visiting local businesses to raise money and support.
“He sent out donation letters to area businesses asking them to support him and the Relay team. Many of his friends, family and teachers also donated to him,” said Brewer. “He did a wonderful job and as a team, we earned the Platinum-level recognition for reaching $7,500. Our team total this year was $8,146!”
Wendell also took part in the Super Hero lap by wearing his Batman costume.
“Area businesses were very supportive of us. Our basketball tournament raised $1,202 and our doughboys/raffle raised $400 on the night of the Relay event,” said Brewer. “The Huber team (made of 24 members) did a wonderful job and the Relay was a huge success.”
