STEUBENVILLE - A butterfly release will be a new attraction at this year's Steubenville Area Relay for Life sponsored by the Jefferson County Unit of the American Cancer Society.
Details of it were among items discussed during a planning meeting of team captains and committee members held last week at the Tony Teramana Cancer Center.
This year's relay will be held June 17-18 at the Robert S. Kettlewell Memorial Stadium on the campus of Indian Creek High School in Wintersville. The goal is to raise $135,000 for research, education, advocacy and patient services; generate 58 teams - 39 are on board already; and recruit 110 survivors to walk the opening lap. There were 100 survivors registered at the 2010 event, according to Dan Wood, relay chairman.
The butterfly release is one of several fundraisers organized by the Stepping for Sisters Team co-chaired by sisters Judy Fellows of Pottery Addition and Karen Springer of Amsterdam.
The butterfly release will take place at 10 a.m. June 18 at the stadium. They are $8 each and can be purchased in honor or in memory of a loved one and will not be limited to individuals who have battled cancer, according to the sisters.
"It's very emotional, just something you can't describe," Fellows said, having participated in a butterfly release in the past. For information, call (740) 543-8012.
The sisters also are organizing two other fundraisers, including a St. Patrick's Day Dance from 8 p.m. to midnight on March 12 at the Stratton Municipal Building. The disc jockey will be James Miller of Calcutta. Admission is $10 per person or $15 per couple, which includes free snacks and beer. Participants can bring their own bottle, too. The event will include drawings and a 50-50.
On April 10, Stepping for Sisters will sponsor a rigatoni dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Saline Township Complex in Hammondsville. The meal by donation will be rigatoni with meat sauce, salad, dessert and drink. There will be a Chinese auction and a 50-50 drawing.
Other fundraisers mentioned were:
The annual pancake breakfast will be held from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. April 2 at Applebee's, which provides the facility and products for the event. A ticket is $5 for pancakes, sausage, coffee and juice. Teams can apply the cost toward an individual's goal to raise $100. Tickets are available from team members as well as at the door.
The annual Daffodil Days sale is in progress with orders due Feb 22. There are three options: a 10-count bundle of daffodils with a Liv N. Hope special Boyds Bear for $25; a 10-count bunch of daffodils for $10; and new this year, a potted plant variety with three to four bulbs for $12. Deliveries dates are March 16-17, with longtime relay participant McCauslen's Florist in downtown Steubenville as the distribution center.
Team Cooper is planning its Longaberger Bingo for April 1 at the Stratton Municipal Building with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and bingo beginning at 6:30 p.m. It will be $25 for 20 games of bingo. All prizes awarded will be Longaberger pottery and baskets.
Luminaries for a $10 donation will outline the track and can be purchased in honor or in memory of a loved one's cancer fight.
Longtime ACS advocate Barb Wilinski encouraged those attending to join the ACS Cancer Action Network, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate that among other things works to increase funding for research. Membership is available for a $10 donation or more, if desired. Wilinski said research produces clinical trials, and clinical trials save lives.
Wilinski said this year's relay will promote the ACS C.A.N. Club membership with teams encouraged to have their members join. A team that gets 10 members to join will receive a garden banner and special recognition. If the overall relay generates 10 teams with 10 members each, a special banner will be erected at the relay to acknowledge the achievement.
Melissa Krinock, ACS staff partner, encouraged teams interested in becoming involved in the relay will find the online approach to registering and learning about relay both user friendly and informative. The website is www.relayforlife.org/Steubenville.
She also noted that anyone is welcome to attend Team University, which brings together participants from area relays for an exchange of information and fundraiser brainstorming. It will be held Saturday at Bell Chapel United Methodist Church, 3419 state Route 213, Steubenville.
Wood said the goal to raise $135,000 "is a big nut to crack" given the economy.
"Keep the faith. We'll pull through," he said.
The next planning meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 8 at Trinity Medical Center East. Anyone is welcome to attend.
(Kiaski can be contacted at jkiaski@heraldstaronline.com.)
