SYRACUSE — “Celebrating Hope for the Holidays” is the theme for the 2017 Relay For Life For Kosciusko County. Events for participants and guests will take place from noon to midnight, Saturday, May 13, at Quaker Haven Camp, Syracuse. The event will be held rain or shine.
Each hour will focus on a holiday theme with lap contests and activities. Lap contest winners will be chosen by that hour’s VIP survivor.
Walkers and guests can shop the flea market for bargains or place bids between 1-7 p.m. on silent auction items. There will be food vendors, hayrides, bounce pad, rock climbing, performances by LeeAnn Stewart Dances and music throughout the event. Fire trucks and police cars will also be displayed.
Events kick off with the opening ceremony and national anthem at noon. Syracuse Cub Scout Pack 3828 will lead the ceremonies. This event will also honor those in the military and veterans. Opening ceremonies will additionally include individual laps for survivors, caregivers, sponsors ending with a parade of teams. A survivor dinner will immediately follow the ceremony at the pavilion.
Visit campsites of the relay teams, which will be decorated in a holiday theme.
Team activities will also take place with a lap bead contest throughout the event with the team walking the most laps, based on the beads collected, winning a prize. Teams will also make a car to take around the track at 4 p.m. during the Road to Recovery Lap.
A schedule of events for the day include:
Kids activities will be hosted by the Cub Scouts from 1 to 2 p.m. with the hour theme being “Fourth of July.”
With the lap theme being “Valentine’s Day” from 2 to 3 p.m. There will be a Valentine’s Day bingo at the cost of 50 cents per card. All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society.
The Candy Cane Triathlon and a visit from Santa will be from 3 to 4 p.m. The lap theme during this hour will be Christmas “Ugly Sweater.”
View the circus reenactment from 4 to 5 p.m. Those walking laps this hour will collect cars as they travel around the track. The one with the best hand wins.
A St. Patrick’s Day scavenger hunt will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. And the theme for the lap will be “St. Patrick’s Day.”
During the 6 to 7 p.m. time there will be kids activities hosted by Cub Scout Pack 3828, face painting and a visit from the balloon lady.
Easter will be the theme from 7 to 8 p.m. Lions Karate will be giving a demonstration followed by an egg drop contest. “Easter” will be the lap theme.
From 8 to 9 p.m. a fight back ceremony will be held. There will also be a share a snack event. Winners of the egg drop contest will be announced during this hour. The lap theme is “Halloween.”
A turkey biathlon will be from 9 to 10 p.m. with “Thanksgiving” being the lap theme.
A silent lap will take place from 10 to 11 p.m. with a luminary ceremony. The final lap of the evening, from 11 to 11:30 p.m. will be a New year’s lap. Teams are to bring their beaded strings to the stage to see what team has walked the most laps.
Closing ceremonies will take place at 11:30 p.m.