Schools
Blasting Against Cancer Together: Tartan Relay For Life is Friday
Tartan was second in the nation for per capita fundraising among high schools last year.
Tartan High School’s Relay for Life ranked second in the nation among high schools for amount raised per capita last year, but this year they’re going for first, said advisor Jan Churchill.
The community is invited to take part in the annual American Cancer Society benefit Friday by buying silent auction items, supporting other fundraisers that will be going or just enjoying the fireworks show at 9:45 p.m.
“It's a time when our school and community really comes together, and it's an amazing thing to witness,” said online chair Madelyn Larsin. “And the fireworks are really awesome.”
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So far the 66 teams participating in the relay have raised $102,000, and they’re hoping to reach $160,000, Churchill said.
One team led by students, Nikki’s Angels, is among the top fundraisers so far.
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The team has a special motivation for participating because Tartan sophomore and team co-captain Emile Schaut lost her sister, Nikki, to cancer in 2007 when she was a 16-year-old Tartan student.
“Having people who are close to us gives us more drive,” Schaut said. “It makes us so we want to work harder, and just kind of pushes us more.”
So far the team has raised about $3,000, said co-captain Molly Garies, through a wide variety of fundraisers including selling baked goods, chocolates, coupon cards and coffee. They’re also donating baskets to the silent auction at the Friday night event and selling burgers to raise money, Garies said.
Schaut said the event can get emotional at times.
“I think it affects everyone in a different way because you just remember your loved ones and the battle they’ve gone through with cancer,” she said. “It’s very emotional, it’s very moving, it really gets to everyone, even people who haven’t been personally affected by cancer. It pulls on the heart strings of everyone.”
The Relay for Life is held at . The event begins with an opening ceremony at 7 p.m., and then the luminaria ceremony is at 8:45 p.m. and the fireworks start at 9:45 p.m.
Attendees are asked to bring canned goods for the luminaria ceremony.