by Eren Tataragasi

HUNTERSVILLE – The 2012 Relay For Life of Huntersville had a new venue, new volunteer board and new date. Still, it managed to raise nearly $40,000 for the American Cancer Society.

With fundraising nearly complete for 2012, organizers are busy gearing up for 2013.

Blair Lindley, the area’s Relay For Life community Manager, said next years’s event will also have a new name – Relay For Life of Huntersville/Cornelius.

“We’re broadening the area we’re reaching out to,” Lindley said. “We did have some teams this year from Cornelius, but next year, we will be targeting the community heavier.”

And while the event will be broadening its scope, Lindley is also looking to expand the team of volunteers.

Six volunteers serve on the event planning committee, but Lindley said she’s hoping to double that for the 2013 event.

“We’re looking for people to help plan and grow the event,” she said. “We need someone who can be in the community and ask for the sponsorships and the relay teams.”

Lindley said there will be a volunteer interest meeting in September, but a date has not yet been set.

“We want to get everyone involved in the local fight against cancer,” Lindley said. “We want the communities involved. It just takes time to get the word out there.”

Lindley said the 2012 event did fall slightly short of expectations, but that it wasn’t all bad news.

“We had a new venue that was less visible, a new date so we didn’t have as much school participation and we had a new volunteer board,” Lindley said. “But it has set us up for success next year because we have a successful committee that’s going to return. So that’s growth, even though not in a dollar amount.”

Relay for Life 2012

The 2012 Relay For Life was held June 22 at Richard Barry Memorial Park.

The event raised $40,000, which is less than the $60,000 it raised in 2011. Funds benefit ongoing programs at Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville.

The overall fundraising goal for greater Charlotte region is $3 million.

The event saw 200 attendees and 19 new fundraising teams.



Want to get involved in 2013?

Visit www.relayforlife.org/northmecklenburg, email Blair Lindley at blair.lindley@cancer.org or call 704-553-5364.