Relay for Life combined event set for Havre June 23

Press release

Two north-central Montana counties are coming together this year in their efforts to raise funds for the American Cancer Society in the annual Relay for Life.

Colleen Mulonet, one of three co-chairs for the new 2017 North Central Montana Relay, described how Blaine and Hill counties will combine their efforts for the upcoming June 23 event.

The collaboration marks a new stage in how the American Cancer Society will stage its main, annual fundraiser in this part of Montana. In future years the relay event will rotate its location between Havre and Chinook.

"After a coin toss, the site for the first year's combined relay is Havre," Mulonet said. "Next year it will be in Chinook."

In addition to Mulonet as a chairperson, Kyndra Hall from Havre and Reba Domire of Rudyard are the other chairs. The organizing committee holds its monthly meetings alternating between the Chinook Eagles and Gram's Ice Cream Shop in Havre. Organizing committee meetings are open to the public and meet at 6 p.m. The next organizing meeting will be Tuesday, May 16, at Gram's at 327 First St. in Havre.

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in Montana with an estimated 6,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed and slightly more than 2,000 deaths resulting from cancer each year. The money raised through the local Relay for Life event stays in Montana, assisting with cancer research, sponsoring education and prevention programs and helping cancer patients and their families with travel and other expenses.

The goal for the first North Central Montana Relay for Life is $14,000. Mulonet reported four teams are already organized in Blaine County and five in Hill County for the 2017 event and she's hopeful more teams will be organizing. Individuals wishing to participate in the fundraising and walk can join an existing team or form a new one.

To join an existing team or start a new team, people can go to the ACS website for the events at https://www.relayforlife.org. The website will help locate an area event - look for the North Central Montana Relay - and has directions for connecting with an existing team or creating a new team. Or, people can call 1-800-227-2345 and select option 2. That option will connect the caller with a staff member who can help answer questions about teams.

Other regular events that will be available this year include the purchase of luminaries, the survivors' dinner before the walk and the walk itself. Cancer survivors are encouraged to participate in the survivors' dinner held before the walk, then lead the first lap of the actual walk.

During the evening walk around the track the luminaries light the way for walkers. Luminaries are paper sacks, lighted by candles inside them. Luminaries are created in memory or honor of loved ones who have dealt with cancer and often have a photo of the person being honored, the honoree's name and a message or quote on the sack. This year the luminaries are three for $25. During the month of May, luminaries will be available for $5. People can find out more about purchasing luminaries and the survivors dinner by calling Mulonet at 357-3837.

The Relay for Life Sponsorship program has recently been launched. That program gives businesses an opportunity to support the annual fundraiser to fight cancer. Sponsorships, depending on the level, allow a business to display its logo on the T-shirt worn by all walkers during the relay, have a sign at the walk location with logo and company name and displays of company names on various social media and posted thank-yous in local newspapers. People can get more information about sponsorships from Kyndra Moore, 945-2411, or Art Kleinjan, sponsor chair 945-0681.

This year's walk will be at Havre High School track from 5:30 p.m. to midnight. Adam Murphy, a disc jockey from Chinook, will provide the music during the walk. The walk is the celebratory part of the fundraiser and teams typically try to have at least one team member walking all during the walk on the school track.

The group said people will be hearing more about Relay for Life and the fundraising efforts associated with it, adding, "Please support the event with your donations and participation."