Residents race against cancer in Relay For Life
THE ST. Luke Community Healthcare team walks in the Relay For Life walk Friday afternoon inside the Joe McDonald Gym at Salish Kootenai College. (Photo by Jason Blasco/Lake County Leader)
Trading the threat of soggy track for the sureness of a hardwood floor, hundreds of local residents filled the Joe McDonald Health and Fitness Center on Friday for the Lake County Relay For Life.
The event marked the first time the fundraiser was held indoors, a move that did not inhibit its success. Through donations and various on-site charity activities, about $26,600 was raised to benefit the American Cancer Society.
“It was a little surprising,” organizer and participant Joyce Kackmann said. “We didn’t have much time to get the word out.”
In addition to the venue change, the relay also featured carnival-themed booths for the first time.
Kackmann said the changes came from suggestions received during a survey of participants after last year’s event.
“When we’ve done it in the past, we’ve often dealt with rain and wind,” she said. “Some of the comments were to have it indoors and earlier.”
Organized through an all-volunteer effort, Relay For Life events are held in 5,200 communities across 27 countries, according to the American Cancer Society.
While some Lake County participants rounded the gym floor, others took in the other activities such as bounce houses and a cake auction.
For Kackmann, the event serves as a family affair. She participates on the team sponsored by her husband’s company, RJK Chimney and Landscape Service. Along with her husband Ray and daughter Kaitlyn, the team raised $6,840, nearly $2,000 more than their goal.
Other top fundraisers included St. Luke Community Healthcare, which raised nearly $4,000, more than double its goal of $1,500. Lake County, Glacier Bank, Bishop Insurance Service and the Mission Valley United Methodist Church rounded out the teams that raised $1,000 or more.
Kackmann said she’s participated in the event for six or seven years, and was initially inspired by a family member who died of breast cancer.
“Through the years, we’ve been able to raise over $25,000,” she said.
While organizers will continue to gather feedback concerning, this year’s event, Kackmann said she the venue worked well. Ultimate success, she said, hinges on contributions from the community.
“As long as people keep giving, it can only grow,” she said.