Upcoming Relay for Life events:
Bunco for Cancer
Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Dawson County High School Commons Area
$20 per ticket includes raffle, meal and Bunco
Contact Beth Swafford at (706) 265-6555, Ext. 1412
Steak-um Sandwich Lunch
Feb. 29
Dawson County Law Enforcement Center
$5 per plate includes beef brisket sandwich with cheese, fries and dessert
Delivery or carryout. Tickets are available at the law enforcement center
Contact Frank Sosebee at (706) 344-3535
Country Folks Can Survive Run the Five
March 10, 7 a.m. registration, 5K at 8 a.m., 1 mile run at 9 a.m.
Rock Creek Park
Cost: 5K - $20 by March 3, $25 after; 1 mile run - $15 by March 3, $20 after
T-shirts guaranteed with pre-registration Awards to top finishers
Register at www.active.com
Ride For Life Dawsonville
April 14, 9 a.m. registration, 10 a.m. roll out with police escort
$25 per bike includes T-shirt with pre-registration at www.rideforlifeofdawsonville.org
Two-hour ride will start and end at Veterans Memorial Park with DJ, food and raffles at the end
Contact Dee or Gina at relaybikeride@yahoo.com
Teams are encouraged to submit Relay fundraising events to be included in the Dawson Community News.
Each member on the Dawson County High School Relay for Life team has a personal reason for supporting the American Cancer Society's signature fundraising effort.
"We have so many staff members that have been affected by cancer either directly or indirectly that we all realize that we are in it for the same reason - so no one else has to experience what we have lived," said Beth Swafford, team leader.
For Swafford, it's the memory of her mother, Eleanor Swafford, who passed away in August of 2009 due to complications with ovarian cancer.
"I know what I experienced as a caregiver and shared in some of her experiences as a patient and just the thought of someone else having to go through what my family and I lived with breaks my heart," Swafford said.
Lori Dorman, a secretary at the high school, also supports the Relay for Life fundraiser to memorialize her mom who lost her battle with bone cancer in 2002 at the age of 64.
"Because the disease started on her tongue, it was not diagnosed properly and spread to the lymph nodes in her throat," Dorman said.
The 15-member team, made up of teachers, staff and students, invites the community to roll the dice against cancer at the high school Friday evening.
Tickets are $20 to participate in a Bunco tournament, a fast paced, interactive dice game.
"The objective being to end up with 21 points, claim Bunco and wear the beloved feather boa at the end of the night," Swafford said.
Dinner, dessert and a raffle ticket for a gift basket are included in the price.
The team plans to raise $3,000, but plans to continue holding fundraising events leading up to Relay for Life, which will be held May 18 at Veterans Memorial Park.
"We are trying to pull the details together to have an administrator car wash. If we are able to do it, we are going to have our principal, assistant principals and other staff members wash the cars of our students," Swafford said.
The group has also put a cookbook together featuring 242 recipes. They also plan to sell luminaries at the school, hold a soup luncheon and offer homemade muffins each Monday to staff members.
An overnight event, Relay for Life celebrates survivorship while raising money for cancer research and programs. Teams set up booths that offer fun for the entire family and take turns walking or running laps around the track throughout the night.
"I am proud of how hard our small community works for this worthwhile cause. For a small town, we make a huge impact," Dorman said.
Teams can still sign up to participate by calling Suzanne Hendricks at (770) 297-1176, Ext. 29062.