Relay For Life team kickoff set for Feb. 9

Get ready to walk for the 2009 Relay For Life. Plymouth County's Relay is set for June 5 in Le Mars.

The county's Relay For Life Team Kickoff is set for 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, at Grace Lutheran Church in Le Mars.

Relay For Life is an American Cancer Society event where individuals are invited to honor cancer survivors and caregivers, or pay tribute to those who have lost their battle with cancer.

Everyone is welcome to attend the team kickoff to learn more about how they can participate as a team and to learn new fundraising ideas.

Information will also be shared relating to the addition of a candlelight vigil to the 2009 event. This year, activities at the track will end at midnight with the event continuing throughout the night as a candlelight vigil.

This is the 13th year for a Relay For Life event in Plymouth County.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a community celebration where individuals and teams join together in walking around a track relay style to raise funds, while celebrating the lives of those who have had cancer, remembering those lost, and fighting back against a disease that takes too much.

At nightfall, hundreds of luminaria will be lit around the track in a moving ceremony to honor cancer survivors as well as friends and family members lost to the disease.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life represents hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one day cancer will be eliminated.

For questions regarding this year's team kickoff event, contact June Muth, team recruitment chair, at 712-533-6286.

The American Cancer Society's Relay For Life began in 1985 with one man who walked and ran around a trck for 24 hours, raising $27,000. This year, Relay For Life will take place in more than 4,900 communities across the country.

As a nationwide organization, the American Cancer Society helps everyone facing cancer, when and where they need assistance. Dollars raised through Relay For Life are providing hope to people in Plymouth County. For cancer information, day-to-day help, or emotional support, call 1-800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.