By HEATHER RUPPE
The annual Colleton County Relay For Life event is now underway, with businesses and residents already fundraising to reach the communitywide goal of raising $50,000 this year.
The event will happen on Friday, June 3rd at 6 p.m. at the Walterboro Wildlife Center Amphitheater, located near downtown Walterboro.
Top teams are already making donations, with REV Federal Credit Union listed as a fundraiser. Thus far, the community has raised $1,822 toward the $50,000 goal.
“We want to get back to what we used to be, before Covid,” said Jessica Cartrette, event lead for the local Colleton County Relay For Life. “We want survivors and participants to call and get everyone registered as soon as possible. Only those registered who get T-Shirts this year.”
Cartrette said the luminary event at the amphitheater last year was “beautiful,” prompting the committee to again use that venue for this year’s event.
“We will definitely be using the amphitheater again, with the standard white bag luminaries,” she said. “We are also offering purple and gold bags at different price points. Online, if you purchase through the web site, these are solar lanterns and not a torch. And they will come with a plaque in honor or memory of the person it is purchased for,” she said.
To participate or donate, go to www.relayforlife.org/colletonsc.
The Colleton County Relay for Life is one of about 2,500 Relay for Life events that happen each year across the nation. The goal of each event is to support cancer survivors and caregivers and to raise funds for cancer research. All money raised supports local cancer research programs and provides assistance to those battling cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be approximately 33,400 new cancer cases in South Carolina this year.
To gear up for the upcoming June event and luminary walk, the Colleton Relay For Life team recently held its February kick-off event. There is also a survivor dinner planned for May 26th and a “Paint the Town Purple” event scheduled for May 28th.
