Clark County Relay For Life Scheduled For Saturday

Cancer survivors Kent and Marilyn Martin have been selected as the honorary chairmen of the annual Clark County Relay for Life event to be held next Saturday, June 23.  They will welcome the crowd at the beginning of the evening program, which starts at 6 p.m. in the Park on  the Square in Kahoka.
Those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for the program, and to come early and enjoy their evening meal of food offered at the team campsites.
The talented Travis Mathes will again serve as Master of Ceremonies at Relay, introducing the traditional events that occur at every Relay:  the Survivors Walk, an uplifting, joyous event which will include nearly 90 survivors this year, and the beautiful Luminaria service which will begin at dusk.  Walking  the square  among the candle-lit luminaries is an inspiring and emotional experience for many, and walkers are invited to come any  time and join  the team members as they walk around the square.
Several new features will be a part of the evening program:
–A powerful performance of "The Lord’s Prayer" in signing to music
will be given by Jordan Ragar of Palmyra.  This will take place at the beginning of — the luminaria service.
–A theme basket auction  with Monte McAfee generously giving his time to help out.  The baskets are on display in the windows at Arnold’s Tax Service.
–Mission  Moments by Mission Education chairman Debbie Whiston, who will take a moment several times during the evening to provide educational information to those attending.
–A performance by the popular band, The Silver Streaks, of Hamilton, Illinois, who will play a wide  range of  music from the Fifties on up.
  The  crowd will want to stay after the luminaria service and Lip Sync
Contest to hear  them.
Plan to stay until  midnight!
Several other musicians will provide great music during the evening:  Miss Northeast Missouri, Abby Scott will sing at the opening  ceremony, as the local Scout troops raise the flags.  Others who will perform are Mike Scott, during  the Survivors Ceremony; Jared McAfee, during the Luminaria Service; Kevin Jerez; and the cast of "Menopause, the Musical" who just happen to be traveling through Kahoka so they can perform for the Clark County crowd.
One of the highlights of the evening, always guaranteed to bring some laughs from the crowd, is the "Queen of Relay" contest, in  which male team candidates present their platform and invite cash votes.  There will be eight candidates this year, and each has coin  collectors featuring their picture placed around the community.
Clark Countians are also  invited to stay all night and watch some of the team activities after midnight:  the Junior Tuesday club Midnight
Madness scavenger hunt, games, Relay Rodeo, group dancing, and, of course, walking the square.
The event will end at 5 a.m. when Shawn McAfee will close the 2007 Relay for Life event  with a emotional and always meaningful ceremony.
The purpose of Relay for Life is to bring attention to the  need  for everyone to join the fight to find  a cure for cancer.  Research is the answer, and we won’t find a  cure unless  we fund a cure.  This is the mission of the American Cancer Society, who sponsors Relay.  This  has been the mission since 1913, and although great progress has been made educating  the public and finding  drugs to treat and cure cancer, much still  needs to be done.
Let’s be a community who takes up the  fight!  Come out on Saturday night to support the effort, eat  good food, and enjoy the evening.