Inclement weather forced the 20th Annual Relay for Life event in doors Friday night, but the show went on, with participants’ holding the fundraiser in the county complex.

The theme for 2017 was “Relaying Southern Style”

Relay Chairman Iva Dell Randolph congratulated the crowd on twenty successful years.

“This is our 20th year for Relay for Life, and over those years it’s amazing to see how our dollars have worked, that we have all worked together to raise for the American Cancer Society for the research programs. The methods they use are not as invasive to the body as they were in the early days. I am so glad that we in our county can be a part of doing something great,” said Randolph

Randolph also recognized one of the local Relay’s founders, Violet Fusion, a cancer survivor who passed away at the age of 91 in 2012.

 “Twenty years ago when we first brought Relay for Life to this county there was a lady who was very instrumental in getting that here,” Randolph shared. “We had been looking very hard at other campaigns and didn’t seem to be raising very much money. We had seen some of the meetings she had attended where they were having this Relay for Life. She talked to me about it and asked if we could do that. I said we can try and try we did and we have accomplished great things with all of us working together. That lady was Violet Fuson. Many of you remember her and knew her. She was also a cancer survivor. If we could have just a moment of silence and bow our heads in remembrance of Ms. Violet.”

Boy Scout Troop #347 presented the colors to kick off the event, Suzanne Slager sang the National Anthem, and the invocation was performed by Chris Moore, pastor of the Smithville Church of God. Randolph welcomed the crowd, cancer survivors were introduced, and Dwayne Cornelius, pastor of the New Life United Pentecostal Church, offered a prayer for cancer survivors.

 Don and Bonnie Rigsby performed while the survivors began their walk through the county complex.