LOVELOCK - The Lovelock Relay for Life season opened with a bang of popping balloons during the Relay for Life Kick-Off Carnival held Jan. 22 at Sturgeons. The event generated $220 toward the Lovelock Relay for Life donation to be made to the American Cancer Society later this year.
In keeping with the theme of the 2012 Relay, "the Magic of Relay," three teams offered a carnival with clowns, music, face painting, cake walks and a variety of carnival games loaned by the Pershing County Sheriff's Office D.A.R.E program.
Three returning teams were already signed up, including Up Cripple Creek without a Paddle, Wells Fargo and George and Jeffy's Pink Ladies, and three more teams picked up registration packets during the Kick-Off Carnival, Wells Fargo team captain Jennifer Hill reported.
Valaree Olivas and Jeff Meyers are continuing on as event co-chairs for the Lovelock group.
"Our goal is to continue on as a Pace Setter event. Last year was the second time Lovelock received the Pace Setter award and we want to do that again this year," Olivas said.
To have a Pace Setter event the group must increase the amount of money raised and the number of teams from the previous year. Lovelock was recognized as a Pace Setter event in 2007 under the chairmanship of Melanie Hamilton and again in 2011 under the chairmanship of Olivas and Meyers.
Last year the Lovelock Relay had 17 teams and raised over $27,000 throughout the year.
"We want to keep the momentum going and get 18 teams registered this year," Olivas said.
"Being a Pace Setter event is a big honor in Relay. It's an honor for the community also," Relay Community Relations Manager (CRM) Erin Entwistle said.
This is Entwistle's first year as the Relay CRM, but she has been involved in the event four years now.
"My husband and I relay for our kids. We don't want them to have a personal story about cancer connected to them or someone close to them," Entwistle said.
Wells Fargo team member Zena Garcia has participated in the event for three years.
"I relay because my sister Rhonda Ursua is a cancer survivor and she is an inspiration to me," Garcia said.
Although husband and wife Fernando and Nena Perez and their children Santiago and Marisalena live in Reno, they have been members of the Up Cripple Creek without a Paddle team for four years.
"We keep coming back to help find a cure," Nena Perez said.
Teams may register for Relay at www.lovelockrelay.org. This year's overnight event will take place at the Joe Yanni Football Field on June 23.
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