 
          2014 RELAY FOR LIFE MAGAZINE          LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com        July 28, 2014             13
        
        
          prepares teams for upcoming Relay for Life
        
        
          A
        
        
          s the upcoming 2014 Relay
        
        
          for Life approaches, teams
        
        
          participated in the annual
        
        
          Bank Night. On Monday, June 30
        
        
          participants began turning in donations
        
        
          and collections for luminaries
        
        
          (memorial lights).
        
        
          The teams have raised money
        
        
          throughout the year with various
        
        
          fundraisers that include purchase of
        
        
          “fundraising feet” at area businesses
        
        
          and such -- coin cans, scratch and give
        
        
          cards, dress down/jean days at work,
        
        
          hat days at school where students pay
        
        
          one dollar and wear a hat, and Culver’s
        
        
          nights. Teams also get support and
        
        
          sponsorship directly from various area
        
        
          businesses.
        
        
          Rachel Ray, a Relay for Life specialist
        
        
          from the Springfield American Cancer
        
        
          Society office says that funds raised
        
        
          are used for areas such as research,
        
        
          education, and patient support.
        
        
          A team captain, Trenton Crawford,
        
        
          says that much of the funding collected
        
        
          for the Relay is used locally to provide
        
        
          free rides for out-of-town treatments,
        
        
          free wigs and makeovers for patients,
        
        
          and for lodging at HOPE lodge, which
        
        
          is for people far from home who have
        
        
          family members receiving aggressive
        
        
          treatments.
        
        
          Ray reports that there are 21 teams
        
        
          this year. This year’s co-chairs are
        
        
          Tonita Reifsteck and Esther Boward
        
        
          and the honorary co-chairs are cancer
        
        
          survivors Nancy Reese and Nichole
        
        
          Bottrell.
        
        
          The theme for 2014 is “Cooking up
        
        
          a Cure for Cancer,” which Ray says
        
        
          encourages healthy eating and lifestyle.
        
        
          Relay T-shirts say “Finish the Fight.”
        
        
          Tonita Reifsteck reminds teams that
        
        
          some still need to sign up for survivor’s
        
        
          shirts because they will only be
        
        
          available for those who sign up.
        
        
          Team captain Lindsey Lafrance has
        
        
          team shirts with purple ribbons that
        
        
          she will also be selling around town.
        
        
          As the event nears, teams will “paint
        
        
          the town purple” with yard signs and
        
        
          posters displayed at area homes and
        
        
          businesses.
        
        
          Bank Night
        
        
          Story By Angela Reiners
        
        
          Rachael Ray, Relay For Life
        
        
          specialist from the Springfield
        
        
          American Cancer Society of-
        
        
          fice displaying information on
        
        
          fundraising for the Relay.
        
        
          Chairperson Tonita Riefsteck
        
        
          assisting people at Relay for
        
        
          Life Bank Night.
        
        
          Bill Post collecting the
        
        
          money for the luminaries.
        
        
          
            Continued on page 14