The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life of Jackson County met Jan. 9 to plan the 2017 event, which has the theme “Lights! Camera! Relay for a Cure!”

ACS community representative Melissa Pressler introduced the event leadership team: Melissa Rebber, experience lead and co-chairwoman; Dee Hess, accounting; Julia Aker, marketing and online lead; Ron Duncan, logistics lead; Stephanie Burgess, mission lead; and Brandy Tackett, team ambassador.

Other event leads include Chealsy Parr, people lead and co-chairwoman; Jan Engel, luminaries lead; Charlie Smith, youth lead; Stacey Brummett, concessions lead; Angel Wente, sponsorship lead; and Jennifer Rorick, community champion. Open positions still needed are fund the cure lead, activities lead, ceremonies lead, survivor lead, additional community champions and more team ambassadors.

Burgess gave a presentation on HPV vaccinations and cervical screenings for January’s Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.

Pressler gave out information on ACS-CAN (Cancer Action Network), a grassroots organization to help with state and national cancer funding.

Nine teams were registered online before the meeting. More teams are encouraged to join soon and start fund-raising. Anyone wanting to start a team or join the survivor team “Relay Stars” can go online to register at relayforlife.org/jacksoncountyin.

Team representatives announced upcoming fundraisers:

• Caring Hearts team is selling Texas Roadhouse rolls and Marion-Kay Spices in March.
• Trinity Trekkers team is selling trash bags.
• Bloomin’ Librarians team is selling white chocolate covered popcorn bags for $2 or $6 through Feb. 10, will sell and deliver stuffed plastic Easter eggs (25 eggs for $15, 50 eggs for $25 or 100 eggs for $50) and will have a rummage sale at the Seymour Main Street Parking Lot Pickers in the Walnut Street Parking Lot from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 22.

In addition to fundraising, teams were encouraged to find sponsors for Relay for Life. The American Cancer Society will recognize all sponsors of $1,000 with a logo on the back of participant T-shirts. Sponsors of $500 or more will have their name on T-shirts and two yard signs with their name at the event, $250 sponsors will have two yard signs and $100 sponsors will have their business name in the event program.

Each team is encouraged to select a movie and decorate their campsite with the movie theme. Movie choice should be sent to Parr, Pressler or Rebber. The winning team will receive a banner for their site.

The 2017 Relay for Life of Jackson County starts at 6 p.m. and ends at midnight May 5 at Seymour Middle School. For information on how you can get involved, contact Rebber at [email protected], Parr at [email protected] or Pressler at [email protected] or 317-440-8851.

The next Relay for Life meeting, which is open to all Relay team members, is at 6 p.m. Feb. 13 at MainSource Bank, 1130 E. Tipton St., Seymour.