PENDLETON – Relay for Life for Umatilla and Morrow counties will be held Aug. 14 at Roy Raley Park, located at 1205 SW Court Ave., from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The relay is held every year in Pendleton by volunteers of the American Cancer Society and 2021 marks its 16 year in Pendleton. In 2005, the first relay was held by Karen Licurse of Pendleton after her daughter was diagnosed with cancer. Now, Carol Preston, a breast cancer survivor, heads the event.
On average, nearly 200 people attend the event each year. At noon there will be a survivor’s luncheon and until 5 p.m. there will be a silent auction with donations from local businesses. At 3:30 p.m. there will be a survivors lap and at 9:15 p.m. there will be a luminaria event where the walkway will be lined up with bags that have been decorated in memory of loved ones lost to cancer.
“I found a letter from my grandmother who died of cancer when my mom was 13 years old,” said Preston. “She was pouring out her heart to her daughters, telling how she really wanted to be a grandmother. This made me cry, because she wanted to make dresses for her granddaughters – and that would have been me. She expressed a dream/wish ‘I hope that some doctor will find a cure for this terrible disease so no one else will have to suffer and miss their full lives.’ I hope as I continue to volunteer for Relay for Life I can have a small part in fulfilling her dream.”
For those interested in participating or donating to the cause, visit RelayforLife.org. Or for more information on the Umatilla and Morrow counties relay email RelayPendleton@yahoo.com.
