Oakwood - Hall County Manager Rena Pendley said Saturday that means that the Relay is on its way back to meeting its pre-recession goal of a half million dollars.
"We have teams from across the community who come here and set up and do fund raising on site," Pendley said. "We also celebrate the survivors while we are out here fund raising."
One hundred relay teams with just over 1400 members participated from 7 P.M. Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday morning. Pendley added an estimated 4,000 people,including caregivers and spectators, attended the Relay, held this year at the University of North Georgia's Gainesville campus.
The event began with the 'Survivors Lap'; Gainesville survivor John Hughey said he's encouraged by the growing number of people who are defeating the disease.
"It means there are a lot of survivors," Hughey, a five year survivor, said. "I'm not the only survivor, it means it can be done. I've met some 43 year survivors. That's incredible and I just love it."
Spectators cheered the survivors and they made their lap around the campus track and then released purple balloons. Caregivers also walked a lap and a lap for loved ones who wished to remember friends and relatives claimed by the deadly disease.
Pendley said the Cancer Society is accepting donations through August 31st and hopes to reach a $300,000 total.
The web site for donations is: relayforlife.org/hallga.
