Relay numbers down from last year
Published 10:11 am Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Walkers pass a luminari Saturday night during the Relay for Life at the Mower County Fairgrounds. Herald file photo
The 23rd annual Mower County Relay for Life raised $74,100 and money is still coming in.
Donations will be accepted through Aug. 31 either online at www.relayforlife.org/mowercountymn or as a direct donation to a relay organizer.
Last year, the event raised about $86,800. The goal this year was $78,000, and Community Manager for the Southern Minnesota American Cancer Society Sarah Finley was excited about the amount raised and hopes the extended deadline will help organizers meet the fundraising goal.
“It was just a super great evening,” Finley said. “I think well attended despite the heat, and everybody cleaned up by 1:30 in the morning. So super fantastic.”
Wayne Rustad, a four-year cancer survivor, walks down the line of luminaries during the Relay for Life Saturday night at the Mower County Fairgrounds.
Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
There were about 300-400 people at the opening ceremony this year, down from about 500-600 people in past years.
Finley guessed the heat kept many away, and a Sunday morning thunderstorm caused the event to close early at 1:30 a.m. instead of the regular time of 6 a.m.
“A huge thank you to everybody that stayed to help clean up,” Finley said, noting that clean-up was fairly quick since there were so many volunteers.
Since the event wrapped up early, organizers didn’t have time to calculate the numbers and haven’t released the names of the team or person who fundraised the most money. Finley said organizers plan to do that sometime next month during an after-party event at Godfather’s Pizza.
