Hundreds of cancer survivors and supporters of cancer research will descend on the Freeborn County Fairgrounds Friday during the 2011 Freeborn County Relay for Life.

The Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature event of the year and aims to draw survivors and the community together to raise awareness about cancer and support for research.

All money raised from the event goes toward cancer research, raising awareness of cancer prevention and cancer treatment.

Local Relay for Life Chairwoman Vicki Manges said opening ceremonies will kick off at 6 p.m. with speeches from this year’s honored survivors and caregivers.

The highlight of the ceremonies will be the survivor lap, when anyone who currently has or who has at any time had cancer takes the first lap of the night around the track near the Grandstand. The names of the survivors who have registered will be read aloud, and survivors who have not registered can still do so the night of the event.

“Everyone knows somebody who has been touched by cancer,” another event organizer Nikki Schumacher said.

Afterward, people from all of the teams will take turns walking through the night and into the next morning.

Manges said the track has been extended from previous years and will go behind the Grandstand.

In addition to the opening ceremonies, there are numerous other activities planned for the evening.

Just prior to the start of the opening ceremonies, bingo will begin at 5 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars building. This activity will continue throughout the night until 5 a.m.

A silent auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will run until 8:30 p.m.

At the end of the silent auction, a winner will be drawn for a $1,000 trip voucher. People can make a donation in a box near the auction in exchange for a ticket, and then one ticket will be drawn.

There will also be a kids carnival beginning at 6 p.m. with the luminaria-lighting ceremony at 9 p.m.

Manges said food sales, including team sales, will be in one area on the blacktop. Food vendors, including Jake’s Pizza, Bruno’s, Blondies Baskets, will be selling food as well.

Live entertainment will begin at 7 p.m. with the band Flashback going until 9 p.m., the band Three Wheels and a Flat from 10 to 11 p.m., singer Jennifer Ordalen from 11 p.m. to midnight and Merle Krause from midnight to 6 a.m. Saturday.

Ordalen will also sing the national anthem.

For people walking during the middle of the night, there will be theme laps with prizes for the best dressed for a series of categories.

During the 1 a.m. hour people can dress up in clothes of their favorite era.

In the 2 a.m. hour, people are encouraged to dress up as their favorite hero, and in the 3 a.m. hour, the theme is costumes. At 4 a.m., pajama hour begins.

Participants can meet in front of the stage the first 10 minutes of each hour to be judged. Then they can wear their outfits around the track the rest of the hour.

Manges said she’s anticipating between 1,500 and 2,000 people to attend the event.

This year’s fundraising goal is $127,500.

Survivor event at Stadheim Jewelers
From 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Stadheim Jewelers, any cancer survivor in Freeborn County, who is also a registered Relay for Life participant, may receive Pandora jewelry.

First-time recipients will receive a Pandora bracelet and Angel of Hope charm.

Second-year participants will receive a tennis shoe charm to represent the relay, third-year participants will receive a clover charm and fourth-year participants will receive an “Inner Strength” bead.

This is Stadheim’s fourth year sponsoring the event.

Survivors who have already registered for the relay are asked to bring their postcards indicating such.

Survivors who have not registered will be able to do so that day.