Floyd may go purple for Relay

ECHS assistant principal Marty Floyd has issued a challenge to the students. Raise $500 and he'll dye his hair purple!

The contest is sponsored by the ECHS Staff Relay Team as one of their fun fund-raisers for Relay For Life.

We're not sure what shade Mr. Floyd will choose, but we're guessing that when the kids raise the dough, he'll look a little like this. --->

(Wonder if they raise $1,000 would he dye the mustache and goatee too?)

Valentine Apples - Free Delivery

According to Team Captain Chi Hamilton, the "Friends of the Fight" Relay For Life team are taking orders for big ol' apples covered in caramel, chocolate and pecans* for just $10! Wonder if you can pay extra to hold the calories?

They'll even deliver them tied up all pretty with a bow and a Valentine's card. You can discuss delivery when you call, but Chi said they'll deliver free "anywhere within reason" like from Lucedale to Pascagoula. Not a bad deal!

Apples will be delivered on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

To order call Chi at 588-2944 or 990-0074 by Feb. 8.

The Friends of the Fight are members of the Hamilton family and some of their friends from Three Rivers Assembly of God Church. They'll also have a booth at Hurley Old Fashion Day so make sure to look for them.

* Apple ordered may not look like the picture shown - that's just to make you hungry so you'll order one for yourself, too! Afterall, it's all going to Relay For Life for the American Cancer Society, so order extras!

Get your team's fundraiser listed here - just email information to MagnoliaReporter@aol.com.

Fundraising Opportunity for Teams

Booths are available for the Hurley Old Fashion Day Festival, which will be Saturday, March 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The East Central Civic Association listened to the vendors and this year are offering larger spaces for the same price. You can get a 15x15 without electricity for $40 or get electrical hook-up for just $5 more. Deadline to register is March 7.

Every year, more and more Relay teams take advantage of the Old Fashion Day for fundraising opportunities and promotion. More than 6,000 people visited the festival last year and the ECCA sold 121 booth spaces. (They gave 17 $1,000 scholarships because of the festival's success!)

Applications are available from ECCA President Karen Ray Tolbert at karenecca@yahoo.com. You can also call her at 588-0136. By the way, Karen is co-chair of our Relay For Life event this year.

Team Meeting Dates

All team meetings are 6 p.m. at

the East Central Community Center

Feb. 26

March 25

April 15

April 21

WANTED: Relay Teams

More than 19 teams have registered to participate in the 3rd annual East Central Relay For Life, but there’s always room for more.
“We’ll make room,” said event chairperson Cherie Langley. “The more the merrier definitely fits for this event. With all these teams out there raising money for the American Cancer Society, we should easily reach our goal of $75,000.”
But the event isn’t just about raising money to find a cure for cancer. It’s a celebration of life, a remembrance of those who have passed on, and a declaration that we will fight back and end this disease for good.
To register for a team, email luv2tlkrelay@aol.com
The annual Relay For Life event April 25 will bring the community together to fight cancer at the H.D. Shirley Stadium at East Central High School.
The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life is a family-oriented event where participants enjoy the camaraderie of a team and also raise funds to help eliminate cancer. “Cancer never sleeps and for 12 hours, neither do we,” Langley said. “It’s a way to remind us that we can’t give up.”
Participants camp out at the Relay site, and when they are not taking their turn walking, they take part in fun activities and enjoy local entertainment. The event helps communities celebrate those who have faced cancer, remember loved ones lost and fight back against the disease.
Teams from companies, churches, organizations, hospitals and schools collect donations and can win individual and team prizes for their efforts.
“Relay For Life brings the progress against cancer to the forefront,” Langley said. “Many participants are our family, friends, and neighbors who have dealt with cancer themselves. Their involvement is proof of the progress that has been made not only reducing death rates, but also in the quality of life following cancer treatment.”
Team meetings are scheduled for Feb. 26, March 25, April 15 and April 21. All meetings are 6 p.m. at the East Central Community Center.

Quilt Raffle for ECUE

The East Central Upper Elementary team is giving away a beautiful handstitched quilt to raise money toward their goal. Raffle tickets are available for a $2 donation for each one. A name will be drawn at 9:30 p.m. April 25 at the Relay For Life event.

Quilt was made by C.P. Winters who worked on it day and night since Christmas so she could surprise Michelle Cadman with it at the Relay kickoff. She donated it to the team to use as the raffle prize, but it's going to be hard to pry it out of Michelle's hands. Maybe she'll win it - I'm sure she's already purchased several tickets.

Quick story behind the quilt - CP was Michelle's junior high counselor and Michelle was friends with CP's daughter, so they've known each other a long, long time. She wanted to do something special for Michelle so she made this quilt, which is fashioned after a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon.

You can see the quilt on display at East Central Upper Elementary and can purchase raffle tickets from just about any ECUE teacher or at the office, 588-7019.

Check out www.michellecadman.blogspot.com to read about her battle with cancer and her wonderful story of survival.

Sign forms available - Earn $100 for your team

If you've been to Relay, you've seen the signs around the track. Some give health tips, while others offer well wishes for those who are winning the fight and rememberances for those who have passed on. These signs can be sold for $100 and the money is credited to your team. It's a great way to inch your way to your goal.

We've created forms to help gather the information for the signs. Pay attention to the deadline at the bottom. You can turn in forms and money during regular team captain meetings.

Request a form by clicking HERE.

There's also a link on the right hand side of this web site under "Resources for Teams."

Letter to the Editor we submitted

This was sent to the Mississippi Press and to the Sun Herald. If you see it in one of the newspapers, please email me at magnoliareporter@aol.com and let me know so we can clip it out. Thanks!
Donna H.

---------------------------------------------
To the Editor:

I am reminded of a quote from Albert Einstein – “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as if nothing is a miracle, and the other is as if everything is a miracle.”

In my short time as chairperson for the East Central Relay For Life for the American Cancer Society, I’ve witnessed so many living the latter. From the little girl who built a construction paper chain made from links inked with each survivor’s name to the teacher nervous to address a crowd wearing a cap to cover the wisps of hair slowly growing back. These people live believing in miracles.

Last week the Hurley/Wade/Big Point/Harleston/Three Rivers communities came together for the kickoff celebration for the 3rd annual East Central Relay. I want to thank all of those who helped make it a fun, successful event and though I don’t mention your name here, please know that it could not have happened without you.

My community is awesome. In 2006, the first Relay’s goal was $25,000. We raised $50,000 for the American Cancer Society to be used for the development of new prevention and detection programs, expansive patient support programs and to further its advocacy efforts and education. For 2007, the ACS set our goal for $50,000. Not a problem – we raised $75,000. So this year our goal is $75,000. I believe we can not only reach it, but we can surpass it like usual. Could this be the year we make six digits? I believe in miracles, so of course we can.

We have one less month to fund-raise since the event is in April instead of May this year, but I don’t think that will be an issue. As more people see what the ACS is doing for their families, their neighbors and for them, it becomes easier to reach those goals.

Please get involved with Relay For Life – form a team, make a donation, support a survivor as they make that initial lap around the field on Relay night – whatever you can do is greatly appreciated. Cancer touches all of our lives in one way or another, and we have the power to put a stop to it once and for all.

Believe in miracles? Believe we must. Just ask a cancer survivor if miracles exist.

Thank you,

Cherie Persons Langley
2008 East Central Relay For Life chairperson

Mark your calendars

Our Relay this year is a month early, so make sure you mark it on your calendar so it won't slip up on you.

It's Friday, April 25 and begins at 6 p.m. then runs all night long because cancer never sleeps and for one night, neither do we!

The theme is "LIFE Is Worth Fighting For... Cancer is not a GAME!"

2008 Goal - $75,000

Pictures and video of Kickoff

Stay tuned for pictures and video from the kickoff!

Kickoff was a big success

The theme of the 3rd annual East Central Relay For Life kickoff was When You Wish Upon A Cure but this group of volunteers are doing more than just wishing. The Relay committee has been hard at work behind the scenes to make sure that this is the most successful Relay event to date. The goal this year is $75,000! That's up from $25,000 in 2006. This community has been so awesome that each year the American Cancer Society expects us to do even better, and I'm sure we will. Big thanks to everyone who helped with the kickoff, and special acknowledgements to Sassy's, H&H Chevron, Century Bank, Four Seasons Florist, Cakes By Natalie, Michael White, Sun Herald, Mississippi Press, WLOX and the EC Link. Also to Rev. Gene Emswiler of Three Rivers Assembly of God Church for the opening prayer, to Robert Morris, the vice president of ACS of Mississippi, who said this was one of the best kickoffs he'd ever been to, and to cancer survivor Michelle Cadman for sharing her story with us. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And a big round of applause to the East Central Players for their version of American Idol. The East Central High School Drama Team is directed by Kristal Sisson. If you missed the kickoff you missed a great skit. There's some really talented kids in the high school drama department.

Kickoff news in Mississippi Press

East Central wishing for a cure
Sunday, January 13, 2008
By AMBER CRAIG
The Mississippi Press
HURLEY -- Cancer never sleeps and, at least for one night, neither will a group of people dedicated to seeing a cure for cancer.

On Tuesday, past and present cancer patients, their families and friends, and others wishing for a cure will mark the official kickoff of the third annual East Central Relay For Life season benefiting the American Cancer Society.

The kickoff begins the fundraising season for the area's annual Relay For Life event April 25 at East Central High School's Shirley Stadium.

"More than anything, it's an awareness booster," said Cherie Langley, event chairwoman.

Tuesday's event will start at 6 p.m. at the East Central Community Center in Hurley. This year's kickoff theme is, "When You Wish Upon a Cure."

The kickoff will give people a chance to find out more information about Relay For Life, to form teams and register and to honor survivors and their caretakers. A local cancer survivor will be the evening's guest speaker.

Relay For Life is an overnight fundraiser for the American Cancer Society and a tribute to present and former cancer patients and their loved ones.

Teams usually form months in advance to raise funds, and, at the Relay For Life event, each team is supposed to have at least one representative walking throughout the night. Langley said 21 teams have signed up so far, including a record eight new teams.

Teams do not have to sign up at the kickoff, but they should form and begin fundraising as soon as possible, Langley said.

This is her first year involved in Relay For Life, but Langley said she has the support of an "awesome committee" and the community. Langley's involved in Relay For Life as a tribute to her father, a cancer survivor.

"He's my hero and he's my reason for relaying," Langley said.

In its first year, Relay For Life raised more than $50,000. Last year, organizers reached $75,000, which is this year's goal.

Sun Herald story about Cherie and her dad

Father's cancer motivates woman to Relay for Life
By DONNA HARRIS
SUN HERALD
HURLEY -- Cherie Langley realized the value of the American Cancer Society when she thought she might lose her hero.
Langley, 34, learned in 2004 that her father, Charles Persons, was diagnosed with late-stage lymphoma. "This news sent our family into a tail-spin and over the next weeks and months we went through many trips to his doctors, surgery and chemotherapy," she said.
The American Cancer Society provides cancer patients and their families with emotional and financial support and is available 24 hours a day to answer questions. The organization funds advocacy and education as well as research for a cure.
Persons has been in remission for more than three years.
"I Relay to celebrate his life and vow to continue to fight until a cure is found for this disease," she said.
Langley will join with others in the Hurley/Wade community Tuesday for the kickoff celebration for the 3rd annual East Central Relay For Life.
At the kickoff, teams can register and get information about the Relay. Survivors will be honored and teams will receive award from last year's contests. Entertainment and refreshments will also be provided.
Cancer survivor Michelle Cadman of Hurley is the guest speaker.
The Relay For Life season culminates with an overnight event in April dedicated to present and former cancer patients, their families and friends. During the next three months, teams will raise funds for the American Cancer Society while declaring that cancer can and will be beaten. During the Relay event, team members take turns walking, camping out, enjoying entertainment, food and games in a party atmosphere.
For the past two years, Langley raised money with a team from Wade Baptist Church. This year, she's overseeing the event.
"The driving force behind my decision to chair this year's Relay is the hope that someday soon no one will have to hear the same dreaded news from a loved one as I did," she said. "And that soon cancer will be nothing but a fading memory, thanks to the cancer research that Relay For Life is funding each year."
The East Central Relay For Life has broken fund-raising records both years. In 2006, the community's goal was $25,000 and it doubled the amount raised. The 2008 goal has increased to $75,000.
Langley said she is up for the challenge.
"Everyone in this community knows what an awesome job Donna Sampson, the committee and the teams have done with Relay the last two years," she said. "I know I have a lot of work to do to meet and exceed their accomplishments. I have an awesome committee and together we will make the 2008 EC Relay For Life another great success story."
Relay for Life
What: Kickoff for 3rd annual East Central Relay For Life.
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Where: East Central Community Center, 4300 Hwy. 614, Hurley.
Information: ecrelayforlife.blogspot .com

Kickoff in the news

HURLEY – There is football season, hunting season and the holiday season. In the Hurley community, they add Relay season to the list.
A kickoff celebration Tuesday officially begins that season, marking the beginning of fund-raising efforts for the 3rd annual East Central Relay For Life for the American Cancer Society.
Relay For Life is an overnight event dedicated to present and former cancer patients, their families and friends. The event raises funds for the American Cancer Society while declaring that cancer can and will be beaten. During Relay, team members take turns walking, camping out, enjoying entertainment, food, and games in a party atmosphere. For months prior to the event, teams host innovative fund raisers to collect money for the ACS.
Organized in 2005 to help find a cure for cancer, the East Central Relay For Life celebrates survivors and their families while raising money for cancer research, education and programs.
The kickoff event is important because it brings together the volunteers, Relay organizers, team members, survivors and those seeking more information about Relay For Life. It’s also a fun time, with entertainment and refreshments, a look back at the 2007 Relay and awards for the teams who participated.
The actual Relay For Life event is early this year, April 25, at East Central High School’s Shirley Stadium.
“It’s not a relay race. It’s not about who can walk the most or the longest. It’s about being a community that takes up the fight,” said Relay chairperson Cherie Langley.
Langley is following in the footsteps of Donna Sampson, who chaired the Relay for its first two years. While Sampson chaired the event, volunteers raised record amounts of money for the America Cancer Society.
The event’s first year goal was $25,000, and organizers doubled that to raise more than $50,000. Last year, they passed their goal of $50,000 to raise more than $75,000.
The 2008 goal is $75,000.
“I’ve got some big shoes to fill, but I’ve got an excellent team of volunteers working hard to make this fund-raising campaign not only profitable, but fun as well,” Langley said.
Throughout the four months, from the kickoff Tuesday to the big event in April, teams will host fund raisers such as dinners, raffles and car washes. “Many of them look at it as a challenge to each other, and try to outdo each other with their fund-raisers, both in the originality and uniqueness of it and in the amount of money it raises for the American Cancer Society,” Langley said. “They all want the bragging rights as being the best team out there, while celebrating our survivors and raising funds for a cure.”
The event will begin at 6 p.m. and continue throughout the night, ending the next morning. “Cancer never sleeps, so for this one night, neither do we,” Langley said.
The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service.

Things to know:
Theme of Kickoff: “When You Wish Upon A Cure”
Kickoff details: 6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 15, at the East Central Community Center, 4300 Hwy. 614
Theme of Relay: “LIFE is worth fighting for…Cancer is NOT A GAME!!”
Relay details: Friday, April 25, to Saturday, April 26 at the H.D. Shirley Stadium at East Central High School
3rd annual East Central Relay For Life goal: $75,000


THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY RELAY FOR LIFE FACT SHEET

What Is Relay For Life?
The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life is an overnight community celebration of life dedicated to present and former cancer patients, their families and friends. Relay For Life raises funds for the American Cancer Society while declaring that cancer can and will be beaten. During Relay, Team members take turns walking, camping out, enjoying entertainment, food, and games in a party atmosphere!

History
The first Relay For Life event was held in 1985 in Tacoma, Washington. Dr. Gordon Klatt walked for 24 hours and raised $27,000 for the fight against cancer. In 1993, the event grew to 89 sites across the country and raised $4 million dollars. As the event progressed, 1995 yielded 800 sites and raised 23 million. In 1998, 2,100 communities held a Relay For Life and raised $90 million dollars. Today, Relay For Life is held in over 4000 communities and raises over $300 million dollars! As such, it is the single largest non-profit fund-raising event in the nation!

Participants
Teams consist of 8-15 people from businesses, hospitals, schools, churches, civic groups and families. One member at a time walks or runs around the track Relay style. Teams make a commitment to having one team member on the track at all times. Each team member is asked to raise a minimum of $100 in donations prior to the event, pay a $10 commitment fee, and complete a waiver form. Additional incentive prizes are awarded to those who raise in excess of $200.

Event Highlights
Survivor’s Lap: Cancer Survivors kick off the Relay For Life by leading the first lap. Their friends, family and team members cheer them on as they complete this victory lap. This lap is a tribute to those who have fought the fight and won. Cancer survivors from all over the community are encouraged to join us in a celebration of their victory.

Luminaria Ceremony: The luminaria ceremony is held after dark to honor cancer survivors and to remember those who have lost their battle to cancer. Luminaria line the track and are left burning through the night to remind participants of the importance of their contribution. Inspirational words, music and a moment of silence allow for remembrance, reverence, and reflection.

Why We Do It
Few things are as devastating as dealing with cancer. The courage, dignity and spirit of those fighting the disease is both inspirational and humbling. You can make a difference now and in the future!

See you Tuesday

Please join us for the
3rd annual

East Central

Relay For Life
Kickoff Celebration

Tuesday, Jan. 15
6 p.m.
East central Community Center

information * refreshments * registration

2008 kickoff announced

Can you believe it's time to start gearing up for Relay? We know that most of you never stop, but just to get us in the spirit we're having a kickoff celebration Tuesday, Jan. 15, at the East Central Community Center at 6 p.m.

Come sign up for teams, get information, eat some yummy food and visit with friends.

For details call 229-9339.