The 2014 installment of the Relay for life of Barton County is off and running after organizers of the annual cancer-fighting event held their kick-off event Saturday morning.
Relay banners and flags, and assorted purple decorations festooned the Great Bend Knights of Columbus Hall. Purple is the color that represents hope and is the official color of the Relay.
Gathered were Relay committee members, team captains and team members. This year’s Chairman Kandi Wolf and Co-chair Mariann  Shook offered words of encouragement and advice.
“I know we are all passionate about this,” Wolf said. All present have had family or friends affected by cancer.
“Let’s take a moment to reflect on why we do this,” Wolf said, adding it easy to get frustrated with the day-to-day stresses of a Relay. “We’ve got to finish the fight.”
Luminaries were lit and there was a silent pause.
The 20th Barton County Relay takes place June 13 at the Barton County Courthouse Square and the goal this year is $112,000. Wolf hopes to have 25 teams take part this year.
Fundraising  efforts are already underway, she said. Many of the larger sponsors have already committed.
The theme for the 2014 Relay is “Music from Around the World,” was introduced, so the morning included a performance by  local vocalist Alex Cartwright.
Teams will pick a music genre, artist/band or era as inspiration to decorate their camp sites Relay night.
Following the kick-off, attendees had the opportunity to sign up for teams, get more information about Relay and support American Cancer Society lobbying efforts.

Other Relay news
In addition to celebrating the kick-off Saturday, the Barton County organization officially joined the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce. There was a ribbon cutting marking this Thursday morning at Great Bend Coffee Company.
“This is truly a community event,” Wolf said during the ribbon cutting. The praised the people and businesses of Barton County for their continued support of Relay.
The Relay, and ones like it around the world, are the hallmark fundraising events for the ACS. It brings the community together around the singular cause – raise money to fight the insidious disease.
Now the serious work begins as the committee, team captains and teams start to meet at least monthly leading up to the event. Between now and the Relay, there will be numerous fundraisers and other special activities.
Since 1985, the ACS’s Relay For Life has grown from one man – colorectal surgeon Dr. Gordy Klatt, who walked, jogged, and ran around a track in Tacoma, Wash., for 24 hours raising money for his local ACS unit. The following year 340 supporters joined Klatt in this overnight event and Relay For Life was born.
Relays now take place in 5,000 communities in the United States and in 20 other countries around the world. More than 3.5 million people participate in the life-changing event, which has raised a total of more than $3 billion to fund the society’s mission.
Barton County falls in the ACS’s High Plains Division, which covers Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Nebraska, Hawaii and Guam. The Barton County Relay is regularly honored for raising funds and other successes.
For information on survivor registration, contact  Shook at 620-791-7549. For more information on the Barton County Relay, contact Wolf at 620-797-5651, or visit the event’s Facebook page, Relay for Life of Barton County.