Now that we have completed the 2009 Relay for Life, we are overjoyed at the success.

The work that went on before the relay was awesome. So many wonderful people worked hard to make this event successful.

There were many events before the actual relay night. Many volunteered for these events too.

I was a part of the Wetzel Chronicle team. Bruce Crawford was our team captain. We had at least three events before the relay. Bruce found boundless energy in spending many hours.

Our first event was a softball tournament. This event should have worn Bruce out. He not only contacted all teams, he made sure everything was done in a timely order.

This event was to be a fun event-a “Strike out Cancer”. Several forgot it was to be a fun event, not a World Series, but many of us did have a lot of fun.

In last year’s event our team came in near the bottom, if not the bottom.

Some things are best forgotten. But we did do better this year; we finished third. Not bad at all for a team that that could have set an all time record of strike outs.

Our second event was a scavenger hunt. I planned this event. Eleven teams competed in this event. I think it would be fair to say everyone had lots of fun in this event.

I hope this event becomes a yearly event too. I certainly thank everyone who took part in that evening’s event.

We only had one hitch in the hunt. I had talked with one of the town’s largest stores and had arranged in advance to get approval for this one stop on the hunt. Each team had to have a picture taken with the manager of that store.

When the participants hurried to get that picture, the manager was anything but nice. In fact, with his lack of cooperation, he caused the team that would have come in first, (after a record setting time of one-and-a-half hours to get this entire list) to come in second.

Many members of the teams are cancer survivors, so if he thought he would scare them, it didn’t work. Fears that come with facing cancer are not even to put in or near the category of this manager’s attitude.

I think it is safe to say that everyone had a lot of fun taking part in the scavenger hunt. Thank you all.

The total raised in this year’s Relay for Life is nothing short of amazing, $110,000 or over. The final totals are not in yet, but we know at least $110,000.

Again, this shows how great things can work with participation by some many good people. If you took part in any way we thank you from the bottom of ours hearts. And if you didn’t, shame on you.