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Relay for Life begins Saturday




Relay for Life volunteers last week Painted the Town Purple with purple ribbons placed along the Hieritage Trail to remind residents of Relay for Life on June 20 at Bates Nut Farm.

Relay for Life volunteers last week Painted the Town Purple with purple ribbons placed along the Hieritage Trail to remind residents of Relay for Life on June 20 at Bates Nut Farm.

Relay For Life of Valley Center will take place on Saturday, June 20 at Bates Nut Farm beginning at 9 a.m. with featured speaker Hannah Nancarrow, daughter of the late Loren Nancarrow, a highly respected newscaster in San Diego who died a year ago in December of a brain tumor.

One of Nancarrow’s talents is that of a writer and on January 28, 2013 when her Dad was diagnosed; they started a blog –The Nancarrow Project. Just two days before he died he wrote, “One of the lessons I’ve learned in life is that happiness lies in discovering your passions and exploring them fiercely.”

Relay will celebrate cancer survivors with the Lap of Hope during the Opening Ceremony. Anyone who has heard the words “you have cancer” is a Survivor. Even if it’s just a week, a month, a year or ten years or more you are a Survivor and Rally wants to celebrate you.

According to Sharon Briscoe, a local spokesman for Rally, “Our survivors are our most honored guests; we would like our Survivors to bring something that gave them comfort during their cancer journey; perhaps it was a blanket that kept you warm or an inspiring book or quote; we will place these special mementos in our HOPE chest to be shared with patients who are currently going through their treatment.”

Before the Lap of Hope, all are invited to join in creating a human HOPE sign that will be photographed aerially. Dave Scott with KUSI will be broadcasting from the event.

Relay For Life events take place in communities all over the world with the mission of funding research for a cure and to provide programs and services to those that have been diagnosed with cancer.

Several fundraising activities will be going on during the event. Sue’s Sassy Walkers team will host Relay bingo at 1:30 p.m. from the center stage. Harrah’s Resort Southern California Resort will provide an opportunity to “Unlock the CURE”. Purchase a key and see if it opens a lock on the Purple Door to a Harrah’s staycation that includes tickets to San Diego activities or Padre tickets that include a limousine ride to and from the Petco Park or a Las Vegas Getaway.

Key sales will have been going on this week, but will continue on Saturday

Bates Nut Farm is getting ready to welcome Relay for Life this weekend.

Bates Nut Farm is getting ready to welcome Relay for Life this weekend.

during the event at Bates.

Twenty plus teams will have various fundraisers as well; perhaps you could win the beautiful handmade quilt being donated by Tina with the PT Cruisers team or a money lei being donated by the Bark For Life team.

The Silent Auction from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. will feature a signature guitar. Feeling hungry? There will be food trucks from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. that will include; It’s a Dog World, That’s What Cheese Said, Epic Eats and Perky Coffee Bean.

Feel like dancing? Live bands will include “80 Sense” and a Relay favorite “SuperFreaks.”

If you have thought of camping at Bates, this will be your chance to join “Camp for a Cure.” Bring your tent and camp for $20 under the stars or bring your RV or trailer and camp for $30; please check in by 3 p.m. and please note there are no hookups.

Relay will provide a campsite movie, s’mores and a prize for best “purple” decoration. The Lions Club will provide breakfast Sunday morning.

Purple is the color chosen by the American Cancer Society to reflect HOPE. Since 2012 ladies from the Valley Center Pageant Association and the Valley Center Rodeo Queens have led the way with tying the purple ribbons along Heritage Trail to promote Relay For Life of Valley Center.

Relay will continue as the sun sets. You will see the reflection of the color purple on the trees at Bates Nut Farm and there will be preparations made for the Luminaria ceremony. The small white bags will be lit to reflect and honor those that are battling a cancer diagnosis and to remember those who have passed.

Luminaria Co-chairmen Erin Scally and Jeannine Milan have created a video with the central theme being “What does HOPE look like to you?”

As night falls the Relayers will continue their walk through the night lit by the Luminaria bags.

“Cancer never sleeps so why should we?” commented Briscoe.

To join the Celebration of 5 years of HOPE in Valley Center and 30 years of Relay For Life events around the world go to www.relayforlife.org/valleycenterca; visit their Facebook page or contact Sharon Briscoe at sbriscoerelay@hotmail.com for more information on how you can participate or support our ongoing efforts to find a CURE in this century.


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