I’d just like to take a moment to thank Wetzel Chronicle Sportswriter Bruce Crawford for all the hard work and heart he puts into our Relay for Life Team. Honestly, most of our team simply helps a tiny bit, through funding and time, while Bruce works tirelessly to organize the softball tournament and this week’s scavenger hunt.

When I arrived at the Hydro fields for our first softball game Friday evening I simply couldn’t believe the number of cars in the parking lot, along the road, and wherever they could find a place to park. The place was packed and there seemed to be smiles on all the faces-both on and off the fields.

Bruce has found a great way to raise money for a great cause. It is this kind of creativity that has enabled the local Relay For Life to flourish and raise unfathomable amounts of money in a sparsely-populated, somewhat economically downtrodden area.

Let’s face it, most of us can’t exactly find a way to give too much of our hard-earned money to charities. It just doesn’t fit in the budget. However, we can usually find $10 to pay the player entry fee for a whole weekend of fun. Talk about value!

And the spectators don’t have to pay a dime, unless of course they want to buy an at-bat to join in the fun or hopefully help out their favorite team.

Thursday’s scavenger hunt, outlined on page 2B of this week’s edition, also raises a bit of money, but it was designed by the late Judy Hill to be more for fun than fund raising. She wanted to get people geared up for the relay the next day. I participated last year and had a blast-even if I didn’t win.

These are just two of the many Relay fund raisers out there. They are all for a good cause. Unfortunately cancer has touched the lives of just about everyone, so who can’t believe in the cause?

So thank you Bruce, other team leaders, and committee members, for believing enough in the cause to work toward raising money that will go toward finding a cure. You are appreciated by many.