The Ogden High School track served as this year’s venue for the Boone County Relay for Life Saturday, an event held the previous 18 years in Boone.
The evening event started at 5 p.m. with a survivor and caregiver meal provided by Great Iowa Caterers. A social hour followed under the white tents while youngsters played games and enjoyed face painting, relay bingo and lap beads.
Opening ceremonies started at 6 p.m., with the presentation of the colors by the Ogden Color Guard and the singing of the national anthem by Courtney Gibbs. The names of survivors was read, and laps were made by survivors, caregivers and Relay for Life teams, with a Superhero lap at 6:30 p.m.
Other activities and entertainments included the Sheltered Reality Drumline, a frozen t-shirt contest, and bubble and glow laps. The highlight of every Relay for Life is the luminaria ceremony and the release of lumiloons, followed by the Fight Back awards.
“This is a great thing for people,” said Charlotte Bennett of Ogden. “I’ve been involved with Relay for Life since I lost my husband to cancer.” Bennett has herself survived two occurrences in the last decade, she said.
The American Cancer Society, which sponsors the annual event, estimates there will be about 1.7 million new cancer cases diagnosed in 2016 and about 600,000 cancer deaths in the U.S.
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