The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

The North Early Learning Center Pink Ladies, an Orange County Relay for Life team from North Early Learning Center in Orange, will be one of 55 teams at the Orange County Relay for Life this Friday, May 4 at the Bridge City High School Stadium.

The Relay is an American Cancer Society event which allows individuals and teams to celebrate cancer survivorship, remember those who have lost their battle with the disease, and fundraise to find a cure.

It will be held at Bridge City High School’s Larry Ward Stadium from 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 4 to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, May 5.

While the May 4 Relay for Life will be Orange County’s 13th; it will be the Pink Ladies’ fifth.

Becky Cooper and Maggie Pachuca captain this year’s Pink Ladies team. The team formed when former co-worker Alisa Huckaby was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

“The North Early Learning Center staff discovered many had lost family or friends to cancer,” Cooper said.

All of the teams – schools, businesses, families, churches, or other --- form to support or honor Orange County cancer patients and/or to ultimately find a cure for cancer.

This year’s Orange County Relay event will feature the theme “Relay for Life Goes Hollywood.”

The 500+ participants may see movie stars, red carpets, and like during the all-night event.

While the North Early Learning Center Pink Ladies begin organizing in the fall, their favorite aspect of participating is helping others and participating in the actual Relay.

Survivors will open the Relay at 6:45 p.m. with a Survivor’s lap. Then, the relay will open to caregivers, and teams.

Various entertaining activities are held throughout the night. They include cake walks, a silent auction, box races, crazy laps, a hula hoop contest, line dancing, and other games.

The Relay for Life will hold a Luminary Ceremony at 10 p.m. This candlelight program remembers individuals who have lost their battle with cancer and honors those who are fighting and/or have survived.

This year’s Luminary event will also honor the memory of Carol Ward, a member of the Orange County Relay for Life Committee since 2000.

The community is welcome to attend and support Relay participants from 6:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. Only Relay team members will be allowed on-site past midnight.

Last year, Orange County Relay for Life teams raised more than $232,539; while, 151 cancer survivors attended the event.

Collectively, Orange County Relay events, over the past 12 years, have raised more than $1 million.

Shari Lyons is the chairman of this year’s event. Robert Davidson is the co-chair.