Tower
Park will be home to this year’s Relay for Life of Campbell County on
May 30-31. People from all throughout the Northern Kentucky area will
be coming together to raise funds for the American Cancer Society.
Since cancer doesn’t sleep, the Relay for Life event won’t sleep
either. The event lasts all night beginning on Friday, May 30 at
5:00pm and finishing up at 6:00am on Saturday, May 31.
Relay
for Life has been hosted by several Northern Kentucky cities in
previous years. This year, the board chose to bring Relay for Life to
Fort Thomas, and asked several Fort Thomas residents to help coordinate
the event. I spoke with Linda Stapleton Slone about this year’s
event. Slone serves on The Relay for Life of Campbell County board, while also working as Relay for Life’s event coordinator and publicist.
Slone and will also be running the “Win for Quinn” booth during
the event. Needless to say, she’s full of insider knowledge of this
year’s event.
Slone
first became involved in Relay for Life in 2006 when she lost her
grandson, Quinn Stapleton, to an inoperable brain tumor. “I
continue to do all that I can in Quinn’s honor and memory,” said
Slone. “He was so brave and strong in his fight to win. Quinn is my
hero!” For Slone, Relay for Life is a family affair. Her son, Aaron
Stapleton, is the event chairperson, and her daughter, Bridget Clore,
is in charge of the luminaries.
This
year’s event will include all the great aspects of the previous Relay
for Life events, but will also feature more activities for attendees
to enjoy. This year’s Relay for Life is jam-packed with entertainment
and activities for the community to enjoy. When Slone was initially
approached to help plan the event, she was specifically asked to make
sure that this year’s Relay for Life would bring together attendees
from throughout the Northern Kentucky area for a night or fun. “I
know in the past that the Relay For Life has been mostly about teams
who sign up to raise money prior to the event and the evening of the
event,” said Slone. “This year, I was asked to make this an event
that others would want to attend. Normally, each team has their own
fundraiser either before the event and the evening of the event. We
sell items to try to raise more money for the Relay For Life. This
year, we were wanting other events to happen, so the public would be
interested in attending. So, I pulled together my resources that I
have used from my other committees. I have several bands and
different things happening all night long. I just started asking
people to come and help. Everyone is so supportive when it came to
helping!”
Slone
and her fellow event planners have created a night full of enjoyable
activities for attendees. They have worked to make sure that people
have fun at this year’s event. However, Relay for Life is also a way
to honor those who have battled cancer. In addition to the
lighthearted entertainment, there will also be moments of reflection.
“I think I look forward to the emotions that flow thru your body
during the Relay, especially the Luminaria Ceremony. It is so
awe-inspiring, sad but inspiring to hear the names. At that moment,
we are all having the same thoughts of our loved ones, our memories
are all alive. We honor our loved ones in tears and in memories. It
will be emotional but it will be awesome,” said Slone.
This
year’s keynote speaker is Ken Shields, who is best known for serving
as Northern Kentucky University’s men’s basketball coach. When the
board members were trying to think of someone who would be both
emotional and motivational, Shields seemed to fit the bill perfectly.
“He has always been so dynamic that he just seemed to fit what we
felt we needed to start us off,” said Slone.
Throughout
the entire event, teams of walkers will be circling the Mess Hall
area. “This
is a silent way to show strength, endurance and good faith that we
are working to end the fight for a cure, that the cure has been
found. Most do this because they have a good friend or a family
member that has survived or have lost,” said
Slone.There
will be eighteen teams of walkers this year, and there will be a
representative from each team walking at all times throughout the
night.
Relay
for Life is a unique way to bring the community together for a common
goal. According to Slone, it’s important that the event has our
support. “I would like the Fort Thomas Community to know that we
need their support. We need them to come be with us on Friday
evening. To come have fun with their families and friends. To be with
us. To help us fight back. To honor ours and their loved ones! To
celebrate the survivors and to encourage them! To help us find a cure
for cancer! The evening is for the community to draw closer together
in finding the cure! Everyone is welcome!” Relay for Life is not
only for friends and family members of those affected by cancer. This
event is for anyone in the Fort Thomas community, and throughout all
of Northern Kentucky.
The
Campbell County Relay for Life event officially kicks off at 5:00pm
on May 30 at Tower Park, and won’t stop until 6:00am the next
morning. When I mentioned earlier that the event was jam-packed with
activities and entertainment, I wasn’t kidding. There’s something for
everyone to enjoy and support this year. Check out the event schedule
here:
5:00pm:
Survivor Dinner with a prayer by Rob Roy
6:00pm:
Opening Ceremony
6:15pm:
Ken Shields Keynote Speaker (featuring Jill Fessler singing the Star
Spangled Banner)
6:30pm:
Survivor Lap
6:45pm:
Team Lap
6:45pm:
Josh McIntosh & Company Band
7:00
– 9:00pm: Michael’s Crafts
7:00
– 10:00pm: Home Depot Crafts
7:00pm:
Tradisi (Master Fry Defense Dance Team)
7:00pm:
Ben-Gals pictures & autographs
7:30pm:
Master Fry Defense Demonstration
8:00pm:
Blue Marble Story Time
8:00pm:
Whipped Cream Slingshot
8:30
– 9:30pm: Teri Foltz Comedy Hour
9:45pm:
Tom Thompson plays bagpipes
10:00pm:
Luminaria Ceremony @ Amphitheater (featuring Sarah Crail on keyboard,
Rob Roy prayer, Master Fry Survivor Speech, and reading of the names
in honor & in memory of the luminary bags)
10:45pm:
Johnny Horan from Stonehaus Trail – acoustical music
12:00am:
Line Dancing by Jeannine Teagarden
12:00am:
Frozen t-shirt contest
1:00am:
DJ
1:30am:
Dude Looks Like A Lady Contest
2:30am:
Musical Chairs Scavenger Hunt
3:30am:
Whipped Cream Slingshot
5:30am:
Closing Ceremony & Fight Back Speech
6:00am:
Final Lap/Close of Event