A Basket Bingo fundraiser is just one of multiple McKean County Relay for Life activities happening in the coming months.
The inaugural Basket Bingo is set for this Saturday at the Community Life Center at Grace Lutheran Church, 79 Mechanic St., Bradford.
Relay for Life is community-based fundraising for the American Cancer Society.
The 14th annual Barstool Open will be held April 25 at bars and clubs across the Bradford area. Also, the 25th annual Relay for Life event — the culmination of the fundraising season — will be held from noon on July 10 to noon on July 11 in Bradford Area High School’s Parkway Field.
For Saturday’s Basket Bingo, “The admission fee is $20 and participants will play 18 games and have the option to purchase extra bingo cards,” said Stacy Shotts Williams, director of volunteer services & community outreach at Bradford Regional Medical Center. “The prizes (baskets) are valued from $25-$50. We will also have a concession stand available with delicious items for lunch and snacks.”
There is no pre-registration for Basket Bingo — everyone pays at the door. Doors open at noon, and games begin at 1 p.m.
For the Barstool open next month, people can register the day of the event at any of the participating bars.
“To date, we have 15 bars confirmed to participate,” said Williams, who noted they are still awaiting confirmation from a few others.
For the Barstool Open, teams with four members each will travel from establishment to establishment to pay a hole of putt-putt. Registration is $60 per team or $15 per team member.
Once players have made their way through the putt-putt holes, they all meet at the same place for fun and prizes.
“The theme for the Bar Stool Open is Dr. Seuss,” explained Williams. “The event will conclude at the American Legion Bradford Post 108. Prizes will be awarded for the Best Dressed, Best Golf Hole to a bar, Low Score Team and High Score Team.”
As for the Relay for Life event to be held in July, organizers are celebrating the milestone year with a return to where it all began.
“This year marks the 25th year for the Relay in McKean County. It began at Parkway Field in 1995 so the committee chose to go back to their roots,” explained Williams.
Although they are going back to Parkway Field, organizers are grateful for the years the event was held at the local university.
“The Relay has been held at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for a number of years and the committee is very thankful for the support the University has provided,” Williams said.
During the 24 hours of Relay, members of the public are invited to “stop by to support the teams, have lunch or dinner at the food court, participate in the luminaria ceremony and/or the survivor ceremony,” Williams said.
Participation is not only a way to enjoy outdoor activities on a warm summer day, but also to support a cause that affects everyone in some way. For many, they come in celebration of those who have survived the disease, or in memory of a loved one who has passed.
Williams explained, “We will be walking the track while listening to music. There is a real sense of community when participating in the Relay for Life. The teams that have registered so far are excited for the Dr. Seuss theme and have plans underway as to how they will be decorating their tent spaces. It isn’t too late to register a team or register individually.”
Community members can join a team or register a team at www.relayforlife.org/pamckeancounty.
For those who are unavailable that weekend but would still like to show their support, they can make a donation through the same website.
Williams described the ways the funds are used.
“All the money raised benefits Bradford and McKean County residents,” she said. “When the American Cancer Society funds the best and brightest researchers, whether they are in California, Texas, New York or Pennsylvania, the results benefit residents right here in McKean County.
The American Cancer Society also has a National Cancer Information Center help line, which people can reach 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling 1-800-227-2345.
“Our cancer information specialists responded to nearly one million calls last year, many from Bradford and McKean County, with information about cancer, its treatment, treatment options, and side effects,” Williams explained.
Through the help line, people can learn about other support programs, too, according to Williams.
“These calls will link people to American Cancer Society programs such as Hope Lodge and Road To Recovery,” she said. “Hope Lodge has saved McKean residents thousands of dollars in lodging costs in the past year alone. And we have a Road To Recovery van located at Bradford Regional Medical Center for any McKean County resident who needs a ride to treatment.”
Learn more about the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.
