Botetourt County’s Relay for Life returns to the Buchanan Carnival Grounds on Friday, May 18th with the Opening Ceremony starting at 7 p.m., and the Closing Ceremony starting at 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 19th. Even if you are not a member of a Relay for Life team, the American Cancer Society invites you to come and enjoy this fun-filled community event and support others in the fight against cancer.

The theme of the 2012 Botetourt County Relay for Life is “Our Amazing Race to End Cancer,” and each team will be decorating their campsites to represent one of the 23 countries that participate in Relay events.

As with past Relay events, this year’s promises some wonderful motivational speakers and entertainment throughout the evening and early morning hours. The Fabulous Blue Chips, The Huffman Brothers, Tennessee Bound and Carrington Key will be among the groups performing at Relay. In addition, The Rebel of Rhythm Cloggers and Taylor England (last year’s Relay Idol Winner) will be on hand to dazzle the crowd with their talent.

At Relay, you have a chance to meet people in the community who are passionate about finding an end to cancer in our lifetime, and gather together with friends, family, and colleagues to laugh, cry, and create lasting memories. Each person who shares in the Relay experience can take pride in knowing that they are working to create a world where cancer will no longer threaten the lives if our loved ones, or claim another year of anyone’s life.

If you have an interest in participating on a Relay for Life team, or would like to make a donation for the event, you can sign on to www.relayforlife.org/botetourt or contact your local American Cancer Society at 540-774-2716. If you are a cancer survivor and are interested in attending the Survivor Reception prior to the Relay event on May 18th, you can contact Nancy Womack at nbwomack@comcast.net or Andrea Mundy, Botetourt County’s Community Manager, at 540-774-2716.

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life is more than just a fundraiser. It is a life-changing experience. At Relay events, every person in your community has a chance to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. Every person who participates in a community Relay event joins others around the globe as a part of a world-wide movement to end cancer.

Submitted by Lynne Latino

The Bank of Botetourt is raffling off a P. Buckley Moss print at the Buchanan Relay for Life. Here’s a link to that blog post.