Rice County Relay for Life Honorary Chairs on KDHL

The Honorary Chairs for this year's Rice County Relay for Life will be guests on the Friday KDHL AM Minnesota program at 9:30 a.m. 2019 Honorary Chairs are Cancer Survivor Katie Wren and Caregiver Christine Chambers.  Both give us a preview on AM Minnesota of their presentations during the Relay event this evening. The cancer fighting activities begins 6:00 p.m. Friday night with opening ceremonies on the Rice County Fairgrounds.

Following opening ceremonies there will be a Survivor's Lap which features survivors receiving paper rings for each year of survival.  For the last few years the ring totals have surpassed over 1,000 years of survival.

There will be entertainment, delicious food available, games for kids and a huge silent auction that will be over by 10:00 p.m.  If you bid on an item please stick around to see if you get the purchase.  All fundraising proceeds go toward the relay in it's 27th year.

Luminary sales will be conducted from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with the Luminaria Lighting Service at 8:30 p.m.

There will once again be a Red Cross Bloodmobile on the grounds.  Let's keep the nurses busy from 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.

There are 18 teams participating this year and they will be participating in various events throughout the night.

The top teams and individuals raising funds will be recognized Saturday morning.

In the first 24 years of the Rice County Relay for Life $2,096,656 were raised at the event.  In 1993 $8,000 were raised.

Cancer survival rates are improving,  The 5 year survival rate for Prostate is 99%, Thyroid 98%, Testis 95%, Melanoma of Skin 92%, Breast (female) 90% and Hodgkin Lymphoma 86%.

I am honored to once again be the announcer for the evening.  I hope to see a lot of people pack the Rice County Fairgrounds Friday night to show support for those who have survived cancer and remember those we have lost to the disease.