Brandon Twp.- The 2015 Relay for Life of Brandon/Ortonville will have some significant differences from previous years.
Changes planned include a non-holiday weekend, a new venue, and a shortening of the length of the event in which participants celebrate, remember, and fight back against cancer.
The 2015 Relay for Life of Brandon/Ortonville will take place from 10 a.m.-midnight, June 13, outside of Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School, 300 South St., Ortonville. The local event is in its eighth year, while the American Cancer Society is celebrating 30 years of its signature fundraising event nationwide.
‘It’s a fun year and there is a ton of new stuff,? said Megan Simms, ACS community manager. ‘We looked at the event as a whole and the cookie cutter approach wasn’t working. The biggest changes are we are not on Father’s Day weekend this year and the commitment is scaled back. We will have the best 14-hour event we can, allowing us to maximize our efforts and create an event that the whole community can embrace and enjoy.?
Relay for Life of Brandon/Ortonville had its inaugural year in 2008 and has raised thousands of dollars since, but in the past few years, participants have fallen short of their fundraising goals and community involvement has decreased.
Concerns about the event being held the same weekend as Father’s Day, as well as the hardships posed by asking participants to walk laps in extremely late or very early morning hours in what is traditionally a 24-hour event sparked requests for changes, which Simms said ACS was happy to accommodate.
‘Overnight hours are more difficult to fill and it’s hard to keep the energy going all night long,? she said. ‘This way, we’ll keep the energy going all day.?
This year’s Relay will be held at BFIS, increasing M-15 visibility, rather than the Varsity Drive track near Harvey Swanson Elementary. The event will also feature a car show this year, in addition to live entertainment of a DJ and band, as well as more activities for children, which are still being planned, but expect to see the bounce house return. There will be themed laps again, including the survivor lap at 11 a.m., followed by a survivor luncheon, and the luminaria lap at 10 p.m.
The total fundraising goal this year is $35,000 to fight back against cancer. This year’s theme is ‘holidays? and teams can decorate their sites at Relay in whichever holiday theme they choose. Twelve teams are signed up so far, and teams can be formed at any time leading up to the June 13 event.
‘All you need to do is connect with friends and family? it can be three to four people or 30-40 people, just a group of individuals who want to work together in the fight against cancer,? said Simms. ‘We don’t want anyone to feel overwhelmed. We want to include people at the level they are able to help… This is a community event and we know people are affected by cancer in the community of Ortonville. This one day a year gives them an opportunity to fight back and we hopes it inspires them to fight back the other 364 days as well.?
The public is welcome to attend, regardless of whether they are on a Relay team. Anyone wanting to join or form a team in which participants will raise funds prior to the event, as well as at the Relay, is encouraged to do so by contacting Erin Bovan, volunteer event lead, at 248-882-8932 or Megan Simms at 248-663-3508.