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DELPHOS — Few Delphos Relay for Life events have drawn a crowd like the first event in 2003. However, this weekend’s gathering rivaled that during opening ceremonies with more than 125 survivors and an estimated 1,100 in attendance.
“This is the biggest crowd we’ve had since the first Relay,” 2009 co-chair Melissa Myers said Saturday. “The stands were full, the CPS3 Tent was full and there were people in the Survivor Tent. This was just a great crowd from the beginning. A lot of people stuck with us and we had a great youth support this year.”
The Cancer Prevention Study 3 sign-up was a new addition to this year’s Relay. Area residents went through a 5-station registration which took approximately 30 minutes. The study crew brought along 227 kits and had to turn people away at the end.
There were 175 women and 52 men signed up. Participants came from as far away as Michigan and Kentucky.
Co-chair Sue Apple said the turnout for the study was impressive.
“The number signed up was awesome,” Apple said. “We are the only site in Ohio to have to turn people away. I think a lot of it is because of the high incidence of cancer in the area and the willingness of people in the area to support this. This just goes to show that it’s not just financial support but moral and emotional. This is a support of commitment — to Relay and the search for a cure.”
Apple went on to commend the whole Delphos area.
“We can’t just say this is a Delphos event. We have teams from all over. There are groups from Ottoville, Fort Jennings, Spencerville and Lima. We even had three or four new teams this year and I’ve had seven or eight people say they want to help by serving on a committee,” Apple said. “Some people have said we should go to every other year but this shows the Delphos area is not ready to do that.”
This year’s Relay goal was $94,000; at the end of the Relay, more than $85,000 was in the coffers.
“Even though the economy is down and it will be tough to meet our goal, we are still bringing in a lot of money for research. Every dollar we bring in is one we didn’t have and could be the dollar that finds a cure,” Apple added.
American Cancer Society Income Development Coordinator Deb Smith was pleased with the Relay as a whole.
“This is the largest attendance I’ve seen in the last three years I’ve been here,” Smith said. “I think it’s great that the Delphos community came out, even with the threat of bad weather. The Relay was great and the weather turned out fine. The Delphos-area dedication to this event is beyond words.”
Dedication is also the reason for the “Spirit of Relay” award given to a special person who goes above and beyond for the event. This year’s recipient was “Relay Bob” Reindel. Reindel, husband of committee member Vicki Reindel, has put together a Relay trailer with items for the event. He took his trailer to the Van Wert and Lima Relays and people used items for each event. Reindel also helps set up at the local Relay, including hundreds of chairs and readying the stage, etc. He also helps tear everything down.
More than 400 luminaries lined the track during the special ceremony and walkers continued to stride by their glow throughout the night.
Platinum teams for this year’s Relay included Franklin Elementary and Hope Floats. They raised more than $10,000 each. Gold teams raising between $5,000-$9,999 included Spencerville Schools, Carriage Inn and K&M Tire. Silver teams raising between $2,500 and $4,999 are: Northern Lights, VFW, Union Bank, Giliad Lake Group, MPA Sr. and MPA Jr., Jim’s Restaurant, The Delphos Herald, Delphos Ambulatory Care, St. John’s, First Federal Bank and Trinity United Methodist Church.
The Relay is co-sponsored by WDOH and The Delphos Herald. Diamond sponsors are First Federal Bank, Raabe Ford, St. Rita’s Ambulatory Care, Union Bank and John Nomina, CPA.
In closing, co-chairs Apple and Myers had only one thing to say: “See you next year!”