Relay for Life time, location changes

Staff report

Roosevelt County Relay For Life hopes to attract more visitors and participants to its 2015 event with a new venue and earlier schedule.

The 2015 Relay For Life event kicks off June 6 at 10 a.m. at the Roosevelt County Fairgrounds and will last until 10 p.m. in an effort to keep participants at the event for its duration.

Roosevelt County Relay For Life Co-chair Julie Miller said the deviation from the event’s traditional 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. schedule was made to fit the schedules of participants and visitors.

“We felt like people leave at midnight; even young people don’t want to stay that late,” Miller said of past attendance.

Miller said that in addition to the updated schedule, the event has changed locations from Eastern New Mexico University’s Greyhound Arena to the fairgrounds to get teams walking outside for a change.

“We felt like we wanted to do it earlier and outside and it needed a change,” Miller said.

She said each of the Relay For Life’s teams will have an activity booth at the fairgrounds that teams will charge visitors to participate in. Proceeds will benefit the event, which raises money for cancer research.

Miller said Relay For Life currently has 138 participants divided into 26 teams for Saturday’s event.

The team activities include a dunking booth, tug-of-war with the Portales Police Department, and a water slide.

In addition to activities, Miller said the event will feature a petting zoo and therapy horses for visitors.

Miller said there will be no admission fee to get into the Relay For Life event.

Vendors will be on hand to keep attendees fueled with popcorn, hot dogs, cotton candy, and “fair food,” according to Miller, and the Coby Carter Band and the Blackwater Band will play throughout the day.

Miller said as of Friday, the event has raised $3,247. She said the current donation amount does not include sponsorships and recent donations that were deposited during the week.

She said the event organizers expect to raise more than the $32,000 donated to the American Cancer Society during the 2014 event.

“The relay is a way to raise money to find a cure for cancer. Being a survivor, it’s important to me, my family, and friends to find a cure,” Miller said of the event.

Miller said that instead of recognizing survivors and caretakers after the event this year, the organizers have decided to honor caretakers and survivors with a dinner at the Yam Theater June 5.

Miller said caretakers and survivors who want to attend the dinner should call her at 575-760-0526 to be included on the guest list.