MILLEDGEVILLE — The 2013 Baldwin County Relay for Life is holding various events and activities throughout the community to honor cancer survivors and remember those who lost their battle with the deadly disease.

“We have 39 teams with 243 participants. We’ve raised $15,050 and our goal is to raise $135,000,” said Pam Tindal, chair of the local Relay. “So far we have received two major sponsors — Century Bank & Trust and Mohawk Industries — but we’re still looking for other sponsors.”

This year’s honorary chair is 3 year-old Abram Gainous who is diagnosed with leukemia.

“He is currently having treatments. It’s been a long road for the family, but he has been doing well under the circumstances he’s been given,” Tindal said. “We will honor him as a cancer survivor after the difficult year he has had.”

Upcoming Relay events benefiting the American Cancer Society include:

• Kroger will continue to collect donations for the local Relay through Saturday;

• Friday, Feb. 22: The City of Milledgeville will sell Krispy Kreme donuts for $6 per box at City Hall. To pre-order a box, contact Jacque Huley at jhuley@milledgevillega.us;

• Friday, March 1: Relay teams will setup at the corner of Amici and Citizens Finance to fundraise through the selling of baked goods, arts and crafts, Relay merchandise and luminaries during the March First Friday event from 6 to 9 p.m.;

• Tuesday, March 5: Team rally at 6 p.m. at the Baldwin High School media center to encourage and invite team and individual participation;

• Saturday, March 23: First United Methodist Church will hold a church-wide yard sale from 8 a.m. to noon at the lake pavilion on Bill Johnson Road. For more information, directions or to donate items, contact Brenda at 478-251-1571, or Linda at 478-451-9702; and

• Saturday, March 23:  Relay teams will sell crafts, baked goods and luminaries from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Milledgeville Mall during Mall Day, while youth can enjoy face painting, raffles and crafts.

A community 5K for Relay Race, followed by a 1 Mile Fun Run, is slated at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 9 which will start and end at Baldwin High School. Entry fee for those that pre-register by Tuesday, March 5 is $15 for students, $20 for all others and $10 for the Fun Run, and are guaranteed a T-shirt. After the pre-registration deadline, participants can sign-in on the day of the event for an additional $5 to the early registration entry fee and T-shirts are not guaranteed.

“We just had an online challenge for teams where we challenged all teams to get participants signed-up, registered and paid,” Tindal said. “The winner was the First United Methodist Church team where they got 14 participants and $130 in registration fees. They won a midnight pizza buffet during the Relay event.”

The annual Relay event is an organized, overnight community fundraising walk at which teams of people and individuals camp out around a track. Members of each team take turns walking around the track while those in attendance enjoy food, games, activities and socializing during the family-friendly event to raise funds and awareness for the fight against cancer. 

At last year’s Baldwin County Relay event, more than $128,000 was raised and 58 teams were attracted, including all the schools in the district and several organizations from Georgia College.

“We still need survivors to register to walk the Celebration Lap and for the survivor dinner,” Tindal said. “It’s for those that are still fighting, are in remission, or who have beat cancer.”

This year’s Relay event is slated to be begin at 6 p.m. Friday, April 12 and continue through 7 a.m. Saturday, April 13 at the Baldwin Braves Stadium. With the theme of “Lights, Camera, Relay,” teams will decorate tents based off a movie or movie event.

“I want people to make cancer personal to them. It’s personal to me because I lost my mother to a rare form of cancer in November 2011. Once doctors gave her diagnoses, there wasn’t much she could do,” Tindal said. “Cancer does affect people in all different areas. Relay for Life helps those that are cancer patients get what they need. If people would open up and find their personal connection, I think we would have a better turnout and raise more funds to help fight this disease.”

For more information about the local Relay events, to register, volunteer, create or join a team, become a Relay sponsor, or make a donation, contact Tindal at 478-454-8490, email ptindal@baldwin.k12.ga.us, visit www.relayforlife.org/baldwinga, or like the Relay for Life of Baldwin County, GA Facebook page.

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