YOUR AD HERE »

2013 Relay For Life raises $8,500

Andy Bockelman
Craig residents get ready for the survivors lap of the 2013 Relay For Life Friday night. This year's event brought in about $8,500 in cash, combined with donated goods that brought the total to about $10,000.
Andy Bockelman

The 2013 Relay For Life of Craig brought in about $8,500 for cancer research this past weekend. Combined with roughly $1,500 in donated goods from local businesses and individuals, the grand total for the cause came to about $10,000.

American Cancer Society representative Lisa Watts said the amount was about on par with last year’s monetary results, perhaps slightly less. Nevertheless, she believes the tally is a respectable one for Craig.

“We’re really pleased,” she said. “You can never be disappointed with the work people put in fundraising.”



Watts said she had hoped to see more of a turnout at the actual event, for which 107 participants pre-registered with not many more showing up after the fact.

“I would have liked to see some more teams of people get involved together,” she said.



Though groupings of community members were smaller than in previous years, the amount of cancer survivors was significant.

“That’s why we’re there, to fill that track with purple t-shirts (worn by survivors) and see people who have come out the other side,” she said.

Watts said the new location at the Moffat County Fairgrounds made the event a little more accessible to people with difficulty moving around.

“Just having the pavilion right there and the kitchens available was so much easier than it was at the high school,” she said. “Some of the people who usually need extra help didn’t have any problems at all.”

Those making their way around the makeshift track did so on foot, as well as on wheelchairs, crutches, pushing strollers, and with some younger children, in little red wagons or riding toy tractors.

Even if Relay For Life doesn’t attract the same size crowd as it has before, Watts believes the feelings of spirit and solidarity have never waned.

“I think we had a great event this year, and I’m looking forward to working on it for next year and seeing what we can do to make it even better,” she said.

Among those in attendance Friday night was Ken Prescott, a former organizer for the Craig event, who walked this year as a survivor of lung cancer.

He has been involved in nearly 80 different Relay functions across the state the past several years, and though each community is different in terms of turnout and funds raised, their shared goal of a future without cancer is what makes each one special.

“It’s always worth the effort,” he said.

Andy Bockelman can be reached at 970-875-1793 or abockelman@craigdailypress.com.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Craig and Moffat County make the Craig Press’ work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.