Revamped Relay for Life set Saturday in Pullman

Relay for Life makes its return to the Palouse this weekend with the annual American Cancer Society benefit slated in Pullman on Saturday starting at noon. The 12-hour event, themed “Carnival for a Cure,” will be held at Grimes Play Field on the WSU campus.

Relay for Life is marking a shift this year by incorporating the former Whitman County Relay, held annually in June in Colfax, into the Pullman teams. Washington State University and Pullman combined relays last year, and now Whitman County is combining with that combo to make the WSU & Whitman County Relay for Life.

“This is the first year we’re having the inclusion of the Colfax team, and we’re excited,” said Cheyenne Wong, event lead. “We have a bunch of students and a bunch of people from the community, and I think it’s going to be double the fun.”

The Whitman County Relay for Life had struggled to maintain a committee for the last several years, and organizers decided to shift efforts into making a stronger combined event. Relay for Life lasted 22 years in Colfax. Wong said she hopes the event this year will lead to unity between the county, university and Pullman.

“It will be really big, really inclusive,” she said. “Doing it this way it allows everyone to feel included and feel they are more than welcome.”

Throughout the 12-hour event, participants will continuously be completing laps around the track, with the track being occupied at all times.

“It represents that cancer never stops, so we never stop as well,” said Wong.

Opening ceremonies, plus a survivor ceremony, are booked on the main stage at 12 p.m. Saturday. Those ceremonies will be followed by live music from 1 to 3 p.m., which will then be followed by Zumba from 3 to 4 p.m.

Wong said there will be carnival games throughout the afternoon and evening, with events such as a potato sack race, three-legged races, a dunk tank, energy pong (with energy drinks) and carnival food.

The Hope Club ceremony will begin at 4 p.m. on the main stage, and the South Fork food truck will arrive in the parking lot at 5 p.m. with a catered meal. The food truck will remain until 8 p.m.

A Disney movie and field games are slated from 6 to 8 p.m., and Mr. Relay is booked at 9 p.m.

“Mr. Relay is a really big tradition,” said Wong. “A male representative from each team dresses up in drag or in high heels and completes a lap.”

Following Mr. Relay, the traditional luminaria ceremony will begin at 10 p.m. Yoga will follow at 11 p.m., and closing ceremonies are booked at midnight.

“I’m super excited and just thankful for everyone who has helped with this,” said Wong.

The time this year is different from the past in Pullman, which was 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Wong said she is hoping this change will be positive to allow for more participation.

“That time didn’t really work before and lots of people had to leave before it was over, so I’m hoping it’s a better turn out for time,” she said.

So far, 45 teams have signed up, and registration can be completed up to the day of the event. Whitman County has one team, the Whitman Walkers organized by Laurie Gronning at Whitman Hospital & Medical Center.

“They wanted to be one team from Whitman County,” said Wong.

Parking for Relay is also taken care of, noted Wong. WSU Parking Services plans to allow all of the parking lots free of charge for Relay for Life participants that day.

Funds raised during Relay for Life will go to the American Cancer Society to help with three cancer resource centers in Spokane, information and support for patients, lodging support for patients and families, a patient navigator program and one-on-one support for resources.

“We exceeded the goal as of last night,” she said Monday. “And we still have more coming.”

To register, go to the Relay for Life website.

relayforlife.org/ wsuwhitmanwa