Co-worker inspires Bean Counters Relay for Life team for Winter Garden event

IF YOU GO

Relay for Life of Winter Garden 

WHEN: 6 p.m. Friday, April 24, to 8 am. Saturday, April 25

WHERE: Downtown Winter Garden, 300 W. Plant St.

INFORMATION: relay.acsevents.org

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WINTER GARDEN — Everyone participating in this weekend’s Relay for Life of Winter Garden has been touched by cancer in some way — and that includes the Bean Counters, a team formed by West Orange Tax & Bookkeeping that will Relay in memory of Hazel Harris, a co-worker who died last June of breast cancer at age 61.

The team’s captain, Joyce Thomas, is a 10-year breast cancer survivor, and her co-captain is a neighbor and part-time co-worker, Cecelia Pruett, whose husband, Gene, died of colon cancer three years ago.

Thomas and her family participate annually in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Orlando. When the city of Winter Garden started holding the Relay for Life downtown, near where she lives, she wanted to be part of that, too.

This year’s Relay starts Friday, April 24, at 6 p.m. and continues until 8 a.m. Saturday. The event is open to the community.

This year’s theme is “Game Shows,” and teams are decorating their tents and booths to represent a variety of games and contests.

The 2015 Bean Counters team also includes Deborah Mancuso, another co-worker and breast cancer survivor; Thomas’ sisters from Plant City and Pennsylvania; and other family and friends.

At their campsite, the Bean Counters will feature the game show “Minute To Win It,” and games are scheduled to start around 9:30. This year, one team member’s husband will be cooking pancakes and sausages, which will be for sale starting at midnight.

Other booths are expected to be selling food and tchotchkes, too, to collect funds for the American Cancer Society.

Hazel Harris is Thomas’ motivation this year to try to raise even more money to find a cure for cancer. The two met when they were both receiving chemotherapy treatments. Thomas is now in remission and returns to her doctor for checkups every six months. Her friend, Hazel, is never far from her thoughts.

THE DETAILS

The route for the annual Relay is slightly different this year and will make a loop around the West Orange Trail from Lakeview Avenue to the roundabout west of City Hall.

The opening ceremonies will begin at 6 p.m. with the introduction of an Honor Guard. WGPD motorcyclists will lead with sirens blaring and lights flashing to lead the survivor lap.

Adrian Whitsett from Channel 2 WESH anchor is master of ceremonies. Special speakers are Tisha Rambaransingh, a breast cancer survivor and West Orange High School teacher, who will address the crowd at the start of the evening; and Donna Worsham, who has battled leukemia and will speak during the luminaria ceremony.

Roughly 100 cancer survivors will receive a medallion in a special opening ceremony and then participate in the survivors’ lap, followed by a lap for caregivers. Survivors and caregivers will then sit down for a picnic dinner and entertainment at 6:45 in the City Commission Chambers.

Entertainment on the outdoor stage will include Jubilant Strings Orchestra, a local student group, at 5:30 p.m., and Canute Kelly at 7:15 p.m.

There will be a chance to purchase a luminaria to pay tribute to a loved one affected by cancer. At 9 p.m., the luminaria ceremony begins, and volunteers will light candles in paper bags that have been placed along the Relay path. 

Throughout the evening, activities will include a “Miss” Relay Contest, a kids’ zone, themed laps, music and a 10 p.m. dance party. Participants can walk the loop and visit the various tents, many of which will have food and snacks to purchase or games to play.

Some of the most exciting activities will take place between the midnight and 5:30 a.m. hours, when participants can stay awake with the telephone relay lap, three-legged race lap, scavenger hunt, water-bucket challenge lap, Hula Hoop contest, egg-spoon relay lap, caffeine push, Simon Says Jenga, lunge lap and gator ball.

A meditation lap starts at 6 a.m., and Zumba will get hearts racing at 7 p.m. The closing ceremonies will take place at 7:30 a.m., with the final lap at 8 a.m.

Contact Amy Quesinberry Rhode at [email protected].