NOTE: “Today” and “tonight” refer to Friday, August 2.
FORKS — Relay For Life teams are throwing a big party today and Saturday to continue raising money for cancer research.
The Forks Relay For Life will begin at 3 p.m. today with a “soft start” when walkers begin laps around the Forks High School track and will continue nonstop until noon Saturday.
“It’s like a party weekend because everyone comes out,” said Chairwoman Cindy Mesenbrink.
Forks High School is at 261 Spartan Ave., but the track is most easily reached via Elderberry Street, said Diane Edwards, a fellow organizer of the Forks event.
Music, games, food
There, visitors will find music, games, Zumba and food such as carne asada, burgers, hot dogs, sno-cones, homemade goodies and hot chocolate.
“It’s a good place to eat,” Mesenbrink said.
“Come for dinner. Stay for the entertainment. Stay the night,” she added.
In keeping with this year’s theme, “Pirates of the Cure-ibeen . . . Digging for a Cure,” a “pirate walk” around town, is planned to begin from the track at 4 p.m. today before the official opening ceremony and Survivor Victory Lap at 6 p.m.
A scavenger hunt and pirate ship races and games also are planned.
There will be live music — with Chuck DeOng, Crescent Blue, Dave Gedlund and Zane Johnson and his band — interspersed with music from DJ Camello of Forks.
The luminaria ceremony will be at 10 tonight. Candles in some 500 paper bags will be lit in dedication to loved ones, either those who have survived cancer or those who lost the battle.
Night games and midnight Zumba will follow.
“Because cancer doesn’t sleep, neither do the walkers,” Edwards said. “Teams will continue to walk the track all night guided by the light of the luminarias.”
Biscuits and gravy
At daylight Saturday, festivities begin again with biscuits and gravy and more entertainment before the closing ceremony at 11:30 a.m. and the last lap at noon.
The Forks Relay For Life fundraising teams already have reached more than half of their goal of $40,000.
By Wednesday, 11 teams with a total of 111 participants had raised $22,989.55 for cancer research.
Last year, the Forks relay raised $53,980, said Katelynn Rushing, community relationship manager for the American Cancer Society, which receives all proceeds from Relay For Life events.
“What’s great about Forks is the entire community gets involved,” said Rushing, who is based in Everett.
“Every store supports it, and the whole town is filled with relay,” she added. “It’s fun to see a small town come together and make a huge difference.”
“The sponsorship in Forks is one of the largest on the [North Olympic] Peninsula,” Rushing said, adding that the Quileute tribe and “pretty much every single business” sponsor the event.
The Forks Relay For Life has 34 sponsors, Mesenbrink said.
Mesenbrink said that’s just the way Forks people are.
“Everything is like that in Forks: People come out and give support. They have generous hearts.”
The Port Angeles Relay For Life was June 7-8. The Relay For Life of Jefferson County was July 27-28.
The Relay For Life of Sequim will be from 3 p.m. to noon Aug. 9-10 at Sequim High School, 601 N. Sequim Ave. For information, contact Marie Meyers at mmeyers8@gmail.com or 360-461-6822.
