Relay for Life Kick-Off Held at Byrnes High School

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           On Saturday, January 12, the James F. Byrnes Leadership class hosted the Relay for Life 2013 kick-off in the Byrnes High School cafeteria for the Spartanburg region, including North Spartanburg and Woodruff.

            The kick-off started with popular dance tunes, pizza, and Disney-themed cupcakes to coordinate with the Disney-themed costumes that the kick-off attendees were donning. After the meal, the Chairmen spoke about facts, figures, and the reasons that they “Relay” before ending the night with a luminary service.

            Relay for Life is a worldwide organization that has raised over four billion dollars since 1985 when it was founded. It saves 100 new lives every day with over 40 million participants in around 20 countries. There are 10.6 million survivors due to this effort, and one out of every hundred people participates in Relay for Life.

            For nine consecutive years, Spartanburg County has been in the Top Ten for most money donated to Relay for Life. Last year, we were number six in the nation and number one in the state, raising $593,597. There were 152 teams, 3,045 participants, and 655 survivors.

            Spartanburg School District 5 is a big supporter, raising $81,623 as a whole last year. James F. Byrnes High School was the largest contributing high school in Spartanburg, donating $23,190 to Relay for Life. D.R. Hill Middle School and Berry Shoals Intermediate School were top contributors as well.

            “I think it’s awesome,” Kennedy Peterson, a freshman at Byrnes Freshman academy, said in reference to Byrnes being the top high school.

            Relay for Life is important because “it raises money to help research,” says Kayla Henderson, a student at BFA.

            Mrs. Ledford, a social studies teacher at BFA, says that she participates on Relay for Life because two people very close to her have been affected by cancer.

            Garrett Davenport, a freshman at Byrnes, said that he is in Relay for Life because his “grandma had cancer.”

            The main Relay for Life event will be held on May 7, 2012 at Dorman High School.

            If you know someone who is affected by cancer and may need help or information, contact the American Cancer Society twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week by calling 1-800-ACS-2345 (1-800-277-2345) or by going online to ACScan.org.  For more information, visit cancer.org.