Calaveras County’s Relay For Life Enters Seventh Year

By B.J. Hansen Published Apr 25, 2009 08:15 am Updated Apr 25, 2009 08:27 am

Angels Camp, CA — The seventh annual Calaveras County Relay For Life is taking place this weekend at Bret Harte High School.

Event Chairperson Patty Turcotte says 478 people pre-registered and $40,000 was pledged leading up to the event. By the time the weekend is over, organizers hope to raise over $50,000 for cancer research.

Many people taking part are cancer survivors.

“We’re alive today to fight it back,” says Turcotte. “We want people to be aware that cancer is not a big scary thing if it is detected early. That’s the message we want people to leave with.”

The two day event begins at 9am Saturday with a Survivor Celebration that will feature a speech from 12-year-old brain cancer survivor Matt McCullough. At 8pm Saturday is a Remembrance Ceremony that organizers are encouraging the public to attend. The event will conclude Sunday morning.

The Tuolumne County Relay For Life is scheduled for next weekend at Summerville High School.

Written by bjhansen@mlode.com