ROCHESTER RESIDENTS INVITED TO PARTICPATE IN 16th ANNUAL RELAY FOR LIFE

All Rochester area residents are invited to the 16th annual Relay For Life; June 21st and 22rd at Stoney Creek High School.

Relay For Life is a celebration of life, a celebration of health, a celebration of cancer survivorship and 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 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. - Opening Ceremony and Team Lap; the event starts with out with a special welcome from our chairperson, Dave Thompson. Community leaders Rochester Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Cuthbertson and Rochester Hills City Council Member Michael Webber will kick off the event. Immediately following the Opening Ceremony will be the Team Lap, where each team will take a lap together with their team signs and dressed in team shirts or other clothing or accessories which represent each team.

DJ/Emcee (for all 24 hours): Rockstar Weddings: DJ Diallo, DJ Loki, & DJ Turbo T

10:30 a.m. - Shannon Irish Dance Academy: Irish dancing

11:00 a.m. - Victory Lap for Survivors and Caregivers: Registration for the Victory Lap will run from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Participating cancer survivors who have pre-registered will be given a commemorative T-shirt to proudly wear as they lead a special Victory Lap around the track in honor of their triumph over cancer. Prior to the Victory Lap, guests will have a chance to hear from Kevin Meyers, a 42 year old, four time melanoma cancer. This inspiring lap honors the courage of all who have defeated cancer. Cancer survivors (anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer) join together to walk the opening lap — unified in victory and in hope. It's an emotional example that Relay For Life is ensuring more lives are saved every year. Again this year the “Handprint” victory banner will be available for survivors place their hand print on the banner with their survivor anniversary date below their hand.  For those who have previously put their handprint on the banner, they will celebrate another year of survivorship next to their handprint, along with each of the previous years that they have participated in the Relay For Life.

11:30 a.m. - Survivor Brunch: After the walk, all the survivors and caregivers are invited back to the Survivor Tent to celebrate and enjoy lunch from Trader Joe’s who is donating a salad bar to the survivors and caregivers.

11:30 a.m. - Fashion Police Lap: wear the most awful clothing you can; style or trend

12:00 p.m. - Sarah Farnam: singer, songwriter and actress from Rochester Hills, Michigan. She recently released her 5 song EP on ITunes , Youtube : www.youtube.com/sarahfarnam

1:00 p.m. - Hawaiian Shirt Lap

2:30 p.m. - FIGHTBACK CEREMONY: led by Bob Grace, this ceremony symbolizes the emotional commitment we make to the fight against cancer.  In both celebrating the lives of our survivors and remembering and honoring those we've lost, we all should be motivated to do something to make sure no else has to face this disease.  Join us and make a commitment to do something - be it exercise, better eating habits, volunteering or scheduling a doctor’s appointment, etc. The Fight Back Ceremony inspires people to take action; taking a “Celebrate Remember Fight Back” flag which represents the commitment to save a life and signing the banner & pledge card which symbolizes the action that person will take to save a life.

Our event sponsors will also be recognized at the end of the ceremony. Sponsors include Fight Like a Man Detroit, Jaycees, Kosch Catering, Meijer, MIU Men’s Health Foundation, Oakland Animal Hospital, Orbis Corporation, Pawsitive Steps Rehabilitation & Therapy for Pets, Potere-Modetz Funeral Home, R&G Drummer, ThyssenKrupp Systems Engineering, Walgreens, & Volkswagen.   

3:00 p.m. - Lifetime Fitness – to host a session to discuss the value and importance of exercise and eating properly in maintaining your health.  Dr. Cody Calligan will also do alignment analysis.

4:00 p.m. - Notes and Leaves: Local band Dan-drums/vocal, Gator- Lead Guitar, Garrett- Bass, Buck-Rhythm guitar/Lead vocals

4:00 p.m. - Favorite Sports team Lap:

6:30pm - Mr. And Mrs. Relay: A volunteer from each team dresses up in “family appropriate” outfits, where men dress and women and women dress as men. Participants complete 1 lap around the track where they ask for donations from event participants as part of their on-site fundraising.

7:45 p.m. - Trevor Thomas: from the Lake Orion area, a country inspired singer

9:10 p.m. - LUMINARIA CEREMONY: lead by Courtney Fortress; to kick off the ceremony. 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.  During the ceremony, Rochester Pride will be performing.

10:00 p.m. - Pump up the volume Lap: celebrate more birthdays!! The more noise the better

10:00 p.m. - Spun Sugar Hoop Troupe:  L.E.D. Hula hooping performers

10:30 p.m. - Seven Birds: An energetic, folk-pop, rock band based out of Detroit, Michigan made up of  Lauren Long, Jake Gross, Jimmy Gross, Joe Garofalo and John Asmar. Their eclectic sound is a combination of many different genres and influences mixing male and female lead vocals, keyboard, drums, bass and multiple guitars to create an energetic, colorful experience for all audiences. They create music to evoke FUN, SMILES, and DANCE. And they LOVE you ALL.

12:00 a.m. - Glow Lap:  Neon colors, glow sticks, anything

12:00 a.m. - Dance Party: with Rockstar Weddings DJ

Silent Auction; participating teams will have auction items located at their individual sites. Bidding will close at 8:30 p.m., prior to the Luminaria Ceremony.

7:00 a.m. - Sunrise Service; Rick Drummer will lead us in a short sunrise service.

7:15 a.m. - Pancake Breakfast; event participants are invited to join us for a pancake breakfast to reenergize after a day of Finishing the Fight!

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 raised 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!”

This year’s event theme is “Relay-ville;”  individual teams will have their own campsites around the track decorate based on their “store-front” theme and many will also have fundraising activities taking place at their campsite though out the event.

Make a difference and join the Rochester Relay.  Register as a survivor, start a team of your own, join an existing team, order a luminaria, 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.

Anyone interested in learning more about Relay for Life or in joining a team are encouraged to please contact Rachel Leas by phone at 248.663.3436 ext. 3436 or by email at rachel.leas@cancer.org or you can visit the website at www.relayforlife.org/rochestermi to get more information on the event, start a team online or make a donation. You can also follow the event on Facebook at “Relay for Life of Greater Rochester.”