This year’s Hamilton County Relay for Life starts at 4 p.m. this Friday, July 15 at Grand Park in Westfield. (Photo provided)
By STU CLAMPITT
Relay For Life in Hamilton County has a new venue this year: Grand Junction Plaza, 225 S. Union St., Westfield. The event will be held on Friday, July 15 starting at 4 p.m.
According to Janet Lome, the Hamilton County Relays have been combined since 2021.
“Last year, due to COVID, was the first year we combined,” Lome said. “We had 81 when it was held at Blackhawk Winery in Sheridan.”
This year she is hoping for a much larger turnout as public events have been drawing ever larger crowds in 2022.
“We get a lot more people to attend day-of than those who sign up in advance,” Lome told The Reporter. “People can sign up on the website. They can start a team. They can show up the day of. We do ask people who have not registered in advance to fill out a participation form the day of the event.”
There is no sign-up fee. There will be donations accepted at the registration tent and Relay volunteers will provide receipts for anyone who wants one.
“The relay starts at 4 p.m.,” Lome said. “We have a silent auction from 5 to 8:30 p.m. We have a group of high school students who have been with us for years who are going to do games and activities. The opening ceremonies are at 6:30 p.m. We have the survivor caregiver lap at 6:40 p.m. Survivor celebration at 6:45 p.m. and then at 9:15 p.m. we have our luminaria ceremony.”
Relay for Life is a signature event of the American Cancer Society. It started in 1985.
“There are thousands and thousands of relays,” Lome said. “It’s worldwide. I used to do Making Strides Against Breast Cancer because I am a breast cancer survivor. I changed to Relay because I wanted to do something that was for all cancers, not just mine.”
Lome told The Reporter Westfield has always been a great partner for Relay for Life.
“The City of Westfield has been very gracious to us,” Lome said. “We had the event in Grand Park on year at the event center. They have always been a great partner of ours. We are excited to be in this new venue. It’s a nice area to walk around. People can go across the bridges. People can walk laps if they want. It’s just an exciting venue. Relay is truly a time for gathering and a time for celebration and remembrance.”
If you want to get involved, you can show up to Grand Junction Plaza, 225 S. Union St., Westfield, at 4 p.m. on July 15. You can also sign up in advance online at this link, on Facebook at facebook.com/RFLHamiltonCountyIN, or by calling Janet Lome at (317) 431-7448.