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Relay tops $150,000 goal
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2010 Relay for Life Chairwoman Merilee Cox (right) presents a plaque to Pam Rayman with the ASMC Dixie Chapter team that raised $2,000 for the 2009 fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. - photo by Photo by Frenchi Jones
Relay for Life 2009 has ended, but local organizers and team members are already gearing up for next year.
On Wednesday, more than 20 volunteer organizers and team-leaders gathered in the media center at Lewis Frasier Middle School to celebrate surpassing their fundraising goal of $157,000, by raising $158, 400.
“We barely made the cutoff, but after the event, the money just kept trickling in,” LCRL 2008-09 committee chairwoman Sharon Dunham said.
Victoria Ten Broeck, community manager for South Atlantic Division of the American Cancer Society, said Liberty County was one of 26 committees in Georgia to meet their fundraising goal.
Ten Broeck said the county went over its team goal by 10 teams, bringing the total to 44 for the year.
She said there were 150 survivors who attended for the walk, 20 more than last year.
“It shows that the community still realizes this is a huge fight,” she said. “They know it’s important, that it’s not only one night, it’s a year.”
Ten Broeck and LCRL 2009-10 chairwoman Merilee Cox thanked sponsors and teams for participating by awarding them with certificates, plaques and door-prizes.
Several teams, such as Midway United Methodist Church, Button Gwinnett Elementary School and SNF Holding Co. won high honors in their fund-raising category.
The 2009 Relay for Life campaign officially ends on Aug. 31 and the following day will mark the beginning of a new year of cancer-fighting advocacy.
Cox told the group committee meetings will start soon thereafter with the first meeting being held at 5:30 on Sept. 15 and the kickoff following soon.
“We’re only as good as you are,” she said.  
Next year’s Relay will take place in May at Long Bell Stadium at Stafford Park.
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