Members big and small of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Pipes & Drums Band and Color Guard perform during the Relay for Life opening ceremony.
Relay for Life was hosted for the first time on Collierville’s Historic Town Square Saturday afternoon.
Sixteen teams raised more than $20,000 for the American Cancer Society.
The event featured an opening ceremony, a luminary ceremony, a Relay Warrior Dash, scavenger hunt, food trucks and more.
Hundreds of corporate friends and community members participated in the American Cancer Society’s 20th Relay For Life of Collierville.
The Relay For Life movement is the world’s largest fundraising event to fight every cancer in every community, with four million participants in 6,000 events worldwide in 2015. Relay For Life events are not 5K runs/walks, but are instead free family-friendly gatherings that unite communities across the globe to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and take action to finish the fight once and for all.
“Cancer has touched so many in our community,” said Carlene McAllister, Relay event chair. “By participating in Relay For Life, we can honor our cancer survivors, remember those we’ve lost to cancer and fight back as a community. In addition to our special ceremonies, we’ll enjoyed local entertainment, fun activities and opportunities to support the American Cancer Society.”
Dollars raised help the American Cancer Society save lives by funding groundbreaking cancer research, supporting education and risk reduction efforts, and providing free information and critical services for people with cancer who need them.
“The American Cancer Society offers so many free programs and services to support anyone along any stage of their cancer journey,” said McAllister. “The organization needs our continued support to make sure anyone touched by cancer has access to the resources they need to survive and thrive.”
In addition to the support of the community, Relay For Life of Collierville is also supported through corporate sponsorships from many local businesses and organizations, including The Town of Collierville, Helena Chemical Company, Carrier Corporation, First Tennessee Bank, West Cancer Center, Tommy N. Whited, D.D.S., M.S. – Orthodontist, First Citizens National Bank, Collierville Twentieth Century Club, The Quonset, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, The Collierville Herald, 95.3 The Rebel and Guess FM.
It’s not too late to register for a virtual fundraising team to support Relay For Life of Collierville. For more information, please contact Whitney Merida, community manager, at 901-725-8624 or [email protected] or visit relayforlife.org/colliervilletn.
PICTURED: From left, Mayor Stan Joyner and Alderman Tom Allen place medals around the necks of cancer survivors like Ben Neal during the Survivor and Caregiver Recognition event.
