This year’s American Cancer Society Relay For Life event in Marshall County will look different than the traditional event, but it will retain the same vital purpose and passionate spirit. As always, participants will celebrate & support people who have been touched by cancer, remember loved ones lost, and raise money to fund the mission of the American Cancer Society. The 2018 Relay Celebration is set for May 5, 2018, at Marshall County High School’s gymnasium and will feature country music star Wade Hayes, along with local celebrity Kalib Swift who is scheduled to open the event.
Relay For Life Event Chair Karen Powell said the volunteer committee for the event had been looking for ways to refresh the event, while still keeping it a family-friendly activity. “People are very busy these days and we understand that,” Powell said. “So we have been looking for ways to give people the opportunity to come out and support the cancer survivors in our community, show thanks and appreciation to the teams who work year-round to fundraise for the American Cancer Society, and to just celebrate the many successes we are having in our battle to end cancer.” Powell said the committee is hopeful this new event format will give people in the community that opportunity.
Hayes made his debut in 1994 with his gold-certified album Old Enough to Know Better. According to his bio, Hayes later released the critically acclaimed album, “A Place to Turn Around,” and continued to tour extensively until his world came to a screeching halt when he was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in the fall of 2011. It was a surprise to everyone, even the doctors. Because Hayes was so young, doctors initially thought the symptoms were the result of him working out too strenuously and lifting too much weight. After extensive surgery and debilitating chemotherapy, Hayes battled his way back to health but the cancer returned in the fall of 2012. Hayes is now cancer-free once again, and while he describes his cancer diagnosis as having hit him “like a ton of bricks,” he said the experience taught him that “you need to go enjoy your life.” Hayes will also be the feature survivor speaker for the evening.