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The groundhog said that Spring is just around the corner, so now seems like a good time to prepare. The Howard County chapter of Relay for Life can help. Its Daffodil Days flower fundraiser is underway, and the bright and sunny flowers will be delivered just in time for planting.
Sherri Johnson, co-chair of the local Relay chapter, explained that order forms are available now. (Find one attached to this article!) And the deadline for submitting orders is Feb. 13. The daffodils will arrive on March 18.
The bulbs may be planted outside, or potted plants also are available for those who prefer to have the flowers indoors. All proceeds from the sale, and the Relay itself, go to the American Cancer Society.
The daffodils are very personal to Johnson and her family, as they provide hope and comfort when thinking of loved ones lost.
“We lost my sister-in-law a few years ago with cancer,” said Johnson. “We live out in Derbyshire, and on the north side of old Sycamore Road, there's a big cross with daffodils. She had always mentioned how she loved it. So, when she passed away, my brother bought daffodils, and we planted a huge cross like that in her memory across the pond from their home.
“So, when they bloom, he sees them from the kitchen window. That's great. And it just makes you feel good, you know?”
Johnson hopes that reviving the fundraiser will help the local chapter exceed last year’s fundraising total of $27,693.
“We try to go at least 10 percent more than what we made the last year,” said Johnson. “We've already got a good start on it, so we're hoping to hit $40,000. We're getting started with the Relay planning, so we're looking for teams. Last year, my goal was to have 20 teams, and I think we had 22. We’d love to have even more this year.”
Relay for Life also has a fundraiser through Hacienda Mexican Restaurant every third Thursday of the month. Presenting a fundraiser token or coupon will mean 20 percent of the dinner bill will be donated to Relay. The tokens can be obtained by contacting Johnson.
There are some changes to the Relay for Life this year. It has been relocated this year to Foster Park in downtown Kokomo. In past years, the Relay was held at Walter Cross Field at Kokomo High School, but with the installation of the new running track surface, wheelchairs are no longer allowed on the track.
"We needed to pull away from there because the people in wheelchairs? That’s who we are there for,” said Johnson. “We asked (Kokomo) Mayor (Tyler) Moore if moving to Foster Park was something we could do, and he said yes.”
The date of the Relay also has changed, rather than walking in August, the Relay now will take place on Sept. 14. The event runs from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.
There are plenty of ways to get involved with Relay for Life, but the most common is to form or join a walking team. Each team member is asked to obtain pledges for the event; many of them focused on laps or miles walked. To form a team, the captain can contact Johnson to get registered. Each team member who raises at least $100 will receive a t-shirt and will be recognized at the Relay.
There are opportunities for sponsors and vendors as well.
“Just contact me,” said Johnson. “We like to keep track of all the sponsors so we can physically announce them at the event. And we need vendors. The teams are welcome to have booths set up if they want to sell items. But we’d like to get a lot of vendors out there who deal with the medical field.
“I want people there who, if somebody came up to their booth and said, ‘I have cancer. What do I do?’ they would have pointers on things that help. Maybe it’s a chiropractor, just to ease some pain, or a psychologist or psychiatrist to help them emotionally. I’d like to have people and organizations there that will benefit those going through cancer, survivors, and supporters.”
For more information, to form a Relay team, obtain a Hacienda token, or order daffodils, contact Johnson via email at sjohnson@syndicatesales.com or by calling 765-457-7727.
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