Relay for Life marching in Chinook Parade of Lights

The Relay for Life of North Central Montana Committee is preparing to march in Chinook’s 33rd annual Parade of Lights Nov. 23.

The committee held its monthly meeting in the back room of Gram’s Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe in Havre Monday.

The area committee is working to organize next year’s American Cancer Society Relay for Life which will be held in Chinook June 28.

The Relay for Life is a non-profit event to raise money for cancer research, patient support, prevention, information, education, detection and treatments.

Committee member Donna Tilleman said someone has already volunteered a truck to be decorated for the parade. She added that everyone is welcome to come and participate in the walk and decorate the truck. Anyone who is interested should contact her and meet the morning of the parade, she said.

The committee also discussed other possible things they can do at the parade, such as a bake sale, an informational table and a luminarie sale.

Tilleman said she also set up a table at Gary & Leo’s Fresh Foods Oct. 27 and Nov. 3, where she collected $25 in donations and sold six luminaries. She added that during those times she also spoke to a few cancer survivors and one gentleman who was interested in signing up a team for the relay.

She said the luminaries are on sale for $5 each or three for $10, until May 31, then they will be $10, or two for $15 up to the relay. Luminaries will also be for sale at the parade, she added.

Tilleman said team sign-up forms will be available online and at the parade.

The committee agreed that they want more young people to be involved this year for the relay and discussed possibly doing something with local schools to get kids involved in the event.

Committee member Amy Belle Smith said she has also sold all of her luminaries and needs to have more sent to her by American Cancer Society Community Development Manager Kris Holmes in Missoula.

She said she has been selling luminaries and encouraging people to sign up their teams in Chinook. So far, she said, she has four teams, with team captains, signed up for the walk. The teams are the “Wacee’s Warrior’s” with Deborah Ramberg as the captain; the “Shining Northern Stars” from the Order of the Eastern Star Northern Star Chapter No. 23  team with Patty Hall as the captain; the Sweet Medical Center team with Nora Conner as the captain, and returning team “Oldies but Goodies” with Mary Pyette as captain.

For more information, people can go to the Relay for Life webpage, http://www.relayforlife.org, Relay for Life of North Central Montana’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/RelayForLifeofNorth CentralMT/, or contact Tilleman at [email protected] or 265-6507.