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(ROCHESTER, MI) - All Rochester area residents are invited to the 12th annual Relay For Life; June 26th and 27th at Hart Middle School.  Relay For Life is a celebration of life, a celebration of health, a celebration of cancer survivorship, a way to pay tribute to those who have lost their battle with cancer.

The 24-hour event is a fun time for a great cause to help beat cancer!  Teams from corporations, clubs, hospitals, churches, and families all join the fun. Anyone can come walk, stroll, or run around the track. Events and activities for everyone will be taking place through out the 24 hour event.
Below is the event schedule, please note times are subject to change

9:00 am. - Opening Ceremony; the fun starts with out when our chairperson, Patty DeShelter, speakers and community leaders come together to kick off the event. Anita Lukibanova, a recent graduate of Stoney Creek High School will be signing and the Flag Ceremony will be led by VFW Post 3908.

9:30 Silent Auction -  Auction items are provided by each of our teams and will continue through 4:00.

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.  - Children's Parade Lap and Events including games, face painting and crafts.

12:30 p.m. - 2:00 - Relay's Got Talent - Team members will be up on stage to display their talents and compete for the winning spot!

12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Survivor Haircuts and Locks for Love. Haircuts are provided by Beauty First and donations to Locks For Love can also be made during this time.

1:00 p.m. - Manicures for survivors and caregivers at the Survivor Tent through 3:00 p.m. and are provided by the Oakland Technical School

3:00 p.m. - Massages in the Survior Tent for Surviors and Caregivers, continues through 5:00.

3:30 p.m. - Fight Back Ceremony; the Fight Back Ceremony symbolizes the emotional commitment we each make to the fight against cancer.  In both celebrating the lives of those we love and remembering those we've lost, we are motivated to do something to make sure no one else we care  about, or no one else we know, has to face this disease.  We are here to fight back.  The actions we take represent what we are willing to do for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for our community to fight cancer year-round and to commit to saving lives. The basic components of the Fight Back Ceremony: Ceremony - Inspires people to take action Taking a Flag - Represents the commitment to save a life.  Signing the banner & pledge card - Symbolizes the action that person will take to save a life.  Our event sponsors will also be recognized at this ceremony.

3:45 p.m. - Live Auction - Auction items are provided by our teams including The Sheriffs Straight-shooters team who is offering a Sanyo 42" plasma HDTV courtesy of Wal-Mart and suites for Tigers game for 18 people, The game is against the Kansas City Royals at 7:05 on Monday, August 23rd. The suite is along the first base line and offers an excellent view of the game.  You will be able to watch from the comfort of the suite with a television or in the seats directly outside the suite. Each of the high bidders will receive tickets for 18 guests and 3 parking passes for parking in the stadium structure. (Does not include food.) Bidding will start at $500 for each game.

6:30 p.m.  - Registration for Survivors and caregivers for the Victory Lap

7:30 p.m. - Cancer Survivor Victory Lap; The ceremony will begin with Christina Raicevich who will be speaking and Kristina Leavy, who will be singing. After, the survivors and caregivers are invited to take a "victory lap" around the track to the cheering and applause from everyone.

8:00 p.m.- Survivor Ice Cream Social; after the Victory Lap at the Survivor Tent, cancer survivors and caregivers are invited to attend an Ice Cream Social as well as remain and enjoy the festivities through out the event.

9:00 p.m. - Luminaria Ceremony; Team "Rochester Pride" will be singing & signing "My Wish" by Rascall Flatts and will also perform to the song "Skin (Sarabeth)" also by Rascall Flatts.  It is during the Luminaria Ceremony that the true meaning of Relay For Life hits home.  Luminaries light the path of the participants walk throughout the evening hours.  Decorated with pictures, decorations and loved ones names.  Honoring cancer survivors or in memory of those who have lost their battle with cancer.  At dusk, the Luminaria are lit around the track and participants take a silent lap around the track. It is a powerful testimony to why we do Relay For Life. 

6:30 a.m. - Sunrise Service led by Llatha Ravi from St. Paul's Methodist Church in Rochester.

7:00 a.m. - Pancake Breakfast provided by City of Rochester and City of Rochester Hills Fire Departments with supplies donated by committee members and Wal-Mart.

8:30 a.m. Closing Ceremony; this celebrates the accomplishments, successes, and efforts of the committee, team captains, participants, donors and volunteers.  Awards are presented to the winning teams and individuals and the grand total of money raise will be announced.  The event comes to a close as everyone takes a final lap together in a proud moment for a "community taking up the fight!"

The individual teams will have their own campsites around the track which many will decorate based on their theme and many will also have fundraising activities though out the event.  For example, Volkswagen Group of America will have a colorful booth that will promote awareness for all cancers through color.  In keeping with their theme, they will also be selling colorful wearable items and colorful gloves for a special lap that is tentatively scheduled to take place at 6:45 PM, before the Survivor Ceremony, as well as a vehicle or two on display.

The event will also include food and live entertainment including Group Therapy, Lisa Daruss, Graham Locke, Collin Whitfield and Whitney Raska.

Make a difference and join the Rochester Relay.  Register as a survivor, start a team of your own, join an existing team, order a luminary, or make a donation to this event, please visit Relay Online: www.relayforlife.org/rochestermi. Sign up today to become a part of the Relay For Life effort in our community and you too can fight back against cancer.
 
If you have any questions, please contact Katie Brennan at 248 663 3436 or email kathryn.brennan@cancer.org.

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