I can't believe it's Jan. 20 already. Time flies when you're having fun and I'm having a blast! There is so much going on with the paper and in the community. It was seven years ago when Penny Byer asked me how I'd feel about emceeing a 12-hour event in efforts to raise money for cancer research. She said it was an event called Relay For Life and she was going to be the chair for the event to be held in Thompson and wondered if I'd help. Without hesitation I said, "I'd do anything to help." Back then I had known friends with cancer but nobody in my family had been touched. Unfortunately over the years, that has changed and my desire to help is even stronger.
This Saturday is our annual kick-off. The relay is not until April but we like to kick if off in January so that it gives teams that want to register early a chance to pick up pledge forms and get a good start at raising money. Calm Air has from day one supported the Relay For Life in Thompson and each year the top two people raising the most money gets a return flight to Winnipeg.
This year we've added something brand new to give the kick-off a little taste of excitement. Leanne Rutherford from our committee is a pretty good cookie maker and suggested we have a cookie bakeoff. Anybody can enter the bakeoff (call Leanne for more details at 307-1054) and guests at the kick-off will taste the cookies and drop money in the jar that they think was the best cookie.
I wanted to bake a cheesecake because I know my cheesecake would win but only cookies are allowed so I have to come up with some fantastic "better than Leanne" cookie recipe before Saturday.
All the money collected from the cookies will be given to the first team that books and shows up for the bank night. Bank nights were created to help get most of the money that was raised dropped in the bank before the Relay and more information will be given to team leaders about that later. Right now we just are hoping that you'll show up this Saturday at the Juniper Centre from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and find out more about this year's Relay For Life event. It's fun, fulfilling and your participation gives strength to our mission to eradicate cancer. Stop by this Saturday at the Juniper Centre, enjoy a cookie, and you may just want to participate in this year's event in April.
