PORT TOWNSEND — Music and children’s activities are on tap during the Relay For Life of Port Townsend, which begins at noon Saturday and extends for 24 hours until noon Sunday.
Buck Ellard, Louie’s World and The Standbys will perform during the event at Memorial Field in Port Townsend, while food, games and children’s activities also are planned.
“There are great people, and it’s a great event,” said Julia Fulton, one of the organizers.
“And it makes such a difference,” she added.
Relay For Life teams raise funds all year before the event and continue to raise money at the event, competing to be the winning team that brings in the most donations.
All of the money raised goes directly to the American Cancer Society for cancer research, with no overhead, Fulton said.
This year’s goal is $33,000, she said.
Teams currently are about $10,000 shy of that goal, she added.
As of Wednesday, the event had drawn 329 participants on 23 teams, twice the number of the 2011 teams, Fulton said.
“Anyone can show up and be a part of this,” Fulton said.
“And all the teams are anxious for other people to join.”
Aside from walking around the track, the event contains food, games and other activities, all geared toward raising funds to fight cancer.
Schedule of events
The weekend will begin at noon Saturday with an opening ceremony.
The Standbys will perform immediately after starting at 12:30 p.m. and continue until about 3 p.m., said Bethany Smith, an organizer overseeing children’s activities and entertainment.
The Survivor Lap, which is for cancer survivors and their caretakers, will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Brian “Buck” Ellard, a Port Townsend musician with an emerging national reputation on both fiddle and guitar, is scheduled to perform from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.
At 10 p.m. will be the Luminaria Ceremony.
Candles in paper bags are set out in memory of loved ones lost to cancer and to honor those who have battled the disease.
From 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., Louie’s World will perform.
At 9 a.m. Sunday, Kelly McNees of Prosper Bodyworks of Port Townsend will lead yoga.
The closing ceremony will be at noon Sunday.
Events especially for children set from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday will range from Red Rover to a game with a huge parachute to Capture the Flag and a bounce house, Smith said.
“Every hour, we’ll have something special for kids,” Smith said.
Relay For Life began in 1985 when Tacoma physician Dr. Gordon Klatt walked around a track for 24 hours and raised $27,000 through pledges.
Primary fundraiser
It has since grown into a primary American Cancer Society fundraiser, with events held around the world.
Each community organizes its own event.
“I’ve been to five of these over the past year,” Fulton said.
The Port Townsend Relay For Life is the second such event on the North Olympic Peninsula. The Port Angeles event was July 8-9.
Forks’ will be Aug. 3-4 at Forks High School, and the Sequim Relay For Life will be Aug. 10-11 at Sequim High School.
For a list of Port Townsend teams and more information about this weekend’s event, visit http://tinyurl.com/c8ys376.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.