Hollister
– Twenty-four hours is a long time to keep walking, but that’s
exactly what some participants in Hollister’s ninth annual Relay
for Life are hoping to do.
Hollister – Twenty-four hours is a long time to keep walking, but that’s exactly what some participants in Hollister’s ninth annual Relay for Life are hoping to do.
City Councilman Doug Emerson said he walked for the entire event in 2006, covering an estimated 50 miles in laps around the high school track.
“I was very sore and I had a lot of blisters,” Emerson said.
This year’s Relay for Life, which starts today, could be even tougher, he added.
“I’m in worse shape this year than I’ve ever been before,” he said.
Emerson said he plans to be a 24-hour walker once again, and event co-chairwoman Carol Johnson said he’s not the only one. Most participants at the event, which raises money for cancer research, share the burden with several teammates. But Emerson found that pledging to walk from noon Friday to noon Saturday was a great way to raise money.
“When I was walking last year, I just started to think about the number of people I know who are either victims of cancer or cancer survivors,” Emerson said.
This year’s theme is “Around the World in 80 Laps,” so most of the teams have picked a country and plan to dress accordingly. Co-chairwoman Carol Tortorelli said organizers realized early on they would have to limit the number of teams that could choose a particular country because three teams picked Mexico right away. France and Italy were also popular, she said.
Tortorelli said her team – “Hearts on Crusade” – picked Switzerland, and team members will be keeping themselves cool with cheese-shaped fans. Johnson will walk with a team from Harris and Associates. The theme, she said, is Jamaica, and their slogan is “Cancer, Jamaica Me Crazy.”
Tortorelli has said organizers hope to raise $245,000 this year. The numbers won’t be official until August 31, but organizers will announce preliminary figures at Saturday’s closing ceremony.
On Thursday, event organizers were already setting up for the big day. Organizer Geri Johnson, Hollister’s city clerk, said residents who aren’t walking should still come out and show their support.
“Everybody needs to come out, have a good time and bring money,” she said.
