Relay For Life hosts carnival at fairgrounds Saturday

Local volunteers raising funds for cancer research want to ‘Celebrate, Remember, and Fight Back’

By Randy Arrington

LURAY, Sept. 25 — Small efforts can help make big changes. Glenna Hilliard Painter believes that, and she believes in the efforts of her group of volunteers to nurture a local event that has lost some steam over the years.

“For me, it’s so much bigger than Page County… to me, it’s so meaningful,” said Painter, the chairperson of the Relay For Life of Page County. “It’s all to celebrate life, celebrate those we lost, and fight back so no one else has to [endure] it…”

This Saturday, the Relay For Life of Page County will host a “Fun Fair Carnival” from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Page Valley Fairgrounds just off Route 211 along Collins Avenue in Luray. The carnival atmosphere will include inflatables, games, prizes, live entertainment, craft vendors, food vendors and music.

At its inception more than two decades ago, Page County’s Relay For Life was one of the biggest events of the year, drawing more than 1,000 attendees and participants. However, over the past decade, the annual event has taken some hits — reduction of support staff and community liaisons through the American Cancer Society (due to budget cuts), loss of high school tracks for annual walk (new surfaces had been installed), less faith in local supporters that monies raised were being spent locally, a perceived reduction of services in the local community, … and then there was COVID.

However, Painter says this group of volunteers is committed to keeping Relay For Life going in the Page Valley. This year will mark the local event’s silver anniversary. She says when staff reductions impacted local Relay chapters about six years ago, some considered folding the local effort. After meeting at the train depot in Luray and hearing from Johnny Woodward, who lead the effort for its first decade, a decision was made to continue hosting local Relays — the fear being that if they stopped, it would never restart.

“We are part of what was here…but we are just keeping it going,” said Painter, who first participated in the Page County Relay in 2012. “It may never be what it once was, but we are still trying to keep it here in the county; we are still trying to make a difference.”

The local group has set a lofty goal of raising $30,000 in donations for the American Cancer Society. So far, they have raised more than $14,000 in cash and a total of nearly $20,000 when including in-kind donations toward their efforts. On Saturday evening, between 9 and 10 p.m., the organizers of the event will reveal their final total.

Here’s a breakdown of what the American Cancer Society spends those funds on:

After a couple of years of walking the trail around Stanley’s Ed Good Park, the small group of volunteers is looking to expand this year, on the 25th anniversary, at the fairgrounds and draw a larger crowd along with it. The group’s chairperson also says that local residents should embrace the cause, as all donations are spread out among those in need.

“Just because the money is raised in Page County doesn’t mean it will be spent in Page County…the entire state of Virginia is treated equally,” Painter said. “It’s. awin for us because we are a smaller community and we don’t raise as much.”

Painter also says that the key reason that services slowed for local residents was due to the lack of volunteers, particularly with free rides to appointments, among other services provided to cancer patients.

She’s hopeful that the event will draw more than 50 attendees, like it has the last two years, or the few dozen that participated in the Drive-Thru Relay during the pandemic. She’s hopeful that the community can see the greater good in supporting cancer research to provide better treatment, or even one day find a cure.

“People can help by coming out, showing support, not only for the American Cancer Society, but for anyone who is currently fighting cancer,” Painter told PVN earlier this week. “You have to remember there are people out there who have lost people… We want to celebrate the ones who have battled cancer and come through it, and honor those who lost that battle…”

Painter says she currently has both friends and family members that are battling cancer in some form. For her, it’s more than a fundraiser, it’s more than just preserving an event… it’s an opportunity to make a real difference, even if in a small way, that can fuel a heartfelt dream.

“My hope is that… no one ever has to hear the words ‘You have cancer’ again.”

RELAY FOR LIFE – SCHEDULE – Saturday, Sept. 28

8-9:30 a.m. — Gates open for Team and Vendor set-up.
10 a.m. – 7 p.m. — Registration; events open to public; luminary sales.
10 a.m. – 7 p.m. — Carnival Opens, FREE admission; inflatables – arm band $5; various games throughout the day, 20 tickets for $10.
1 p.m. — Opening Ceremonies; Butterfly Release, Survivor Lap, Caregiver Lap, Everyone starts the walk.
2 p.m. — Live music with Dustin Kephart
4 p.m. — Bank Time; Turn in money at the DARE trailer.
4:30 p.m. — Fight Back Ceremony
7:30 p.m. — Final Bank Time; All money turned into DARE trailer.
8 p.m. — Luminary Ceremony
9 p.m. — Closing Ceremonies