Relay for Life blasts goal, sets records

06/12/2007
By: CHRISTY WHEELAND , News Editor, Neighbor Newspapers

For the first time in Wagoner County Relay for Life history, county-wide teams participating in the American Cancer Society fundraiser raised more than $100,000. Well before midnight Friday, June 8, the triple digit number was surpassed, much to the elation of Relay coordinators, committee members and participants.

The total figure for the 2007 campaign was $102,957.92.

"Oh my gosh, words cannot describe how elated we are!" exclaimed Relay Co-Chairman Donna Ramsey in the early hours Saturday morning. "To find out at 4 p.m. the day before Relay we had already hit our $95,000 goal was an amazing thing. I don't think it's ever happened before."

As for surpassing the goal, "there is no explanation," Ramsey continued. "We were down on the number of teams, but everyone got out and worked really hard this year."

Champion fundraiser for the 2007 Relay for Life campaign was Blue Bell Creameries. Their first year of participating in the Wagoner County relay resulted in a contribution of $10,209.92 toward ACS? programming and services, making Blue Bell the county's first-ever platinum team.

Coming in second in the fundraising effort was The First National Bank of Coweta, raising a total of $7,800. Finishing a close third in contributions was another Coweta team hailing from Towne and Country Christian Church. Team members raised $7,553.37.

Several of the 29 teams reached bronze, silver and gold level status with fundraising totals exceeding the $1,500, $2,500 and $5,000 marks.

Individually, Norma Jay with Towne and Country Christian Church was the top fundraiser with $2,338.67. William Scheller with Celebrate Recovery raised $1,835 and Sharon Fleeman raised $1,800.

John Catrett with Towne and Country Christian Church raised $1,565, Cecilia Payne raised $1,200, Jackie Murray raised $1,101.50, Kenneth Russell with Towne and Country Christian Church raised $1,028 and Donna Posey with the First Baptist Church Preschool raised $1,015.

"Participation this year has been awesome, and having John (Roberts) and Annita (Walker) doing activities was the best decision we could make,"?Ramsey commented. "They kept the crowd going and awake with all the activities."

"The committee as a whole has been awesome!" she exclaimed.

Others serving on the Wagoner County Relay for Life committee were co-chairman Jackie Murray, Lindsay Hughes, Marcy Beeman, Jean Jones, Julie Watson-Ledbetter, Debi Roehm, Denise Bosco, Nichole Scott, April Jones, Jean Jones, Krista Caffey, Jami Sullins, John Roberts, Annita Walker, Debbi Homan, sara Serviss, Paula Templeton, Meredith Zehr, Elsie Costigan, Larry Morgan and Janet Myers.

Teams participating in Relay included Coweta High School students, First National Bank of Coweta, First Baptist Church of Coweta (two teams), Southside Elementary (two teams), Coweta High School, Coweta Wal-Mart and Blue Bell Creameries (two teams).

Others include the Scroggins/Welch families, Wagoner Community Hospital, Wagoner Health Department, Armstrong Bank, Kevin Grover GMC, Friends of Wagoner/County Clerk, Shepherd's Care Hospice (two teams), Wagoner Curves, Towne and Country Christian Church, Wagoner Wal-Mart, DHS and Celebrate Recovery.

Also, ERA ?Realty Wahoma, Coweta American, Coweta Junior High teachers, Coweta Curves, Better Off Bronzed, First Assembly of God Church, the Wagoner County Retired Educators and Sandy Fleming/Patsy Hawkins families.

A host of individuals participated as well.

Supporting the 2007 Relay for Life event as Platinum Sponsors were Blue Bell Creameries, Shepherd's Care Hospice of Wagoner, Simmons Drug and Video, Wagoner County Court Clerk Sue Wells and Staff and Wal-Mart.

Gold sponsors included First Bank and Trust Company, Attorney Richard L. Gray, SC Piping and Mechanical, Inc., Wagoner Lumber Co., Inc. and Windstream Communications.

Silver sponsors were Armstrong Bank, Dr. Gary Bryant, First National Bank of Coweta, Scroggins Brothers Construction, Unarco, Wagoner Community Hospital, Wagoner Good Neighbor Realty, Inc. and Wagoner Rose Garden Club.

Bronze level sponsors included Beta Sigma Phi-Nu Sigma Chapter, Coweta American, Wagoner County Treasurer Gloria Marshall, Henson's Electric, Inc., John J. Lindsay, O.D., Kevin Grover GMC, Rice Family Eye Center, Ron Nanni Appraisals, Inc., Mallory Skelton with Shelter Insurance, Grant Lannom with State Farm Insurance, T.D. Carpet and Tile Clean and Wagoner Flowers and Gifts.

Serving as In-Kind Sponsors this year were The City of Tulsa Pipes and Drums, State Rep. Wade Rousselot, Kris Mann with Mann and Mann Sound Productions, The Kennedy Mansion Bed and Breakfast, gospel group Charity, Pizza Hut, Pizza Inn, Simple Simon's Pizza, William Scheller, Wagoner Dollar and Up, Arvest Bank, Boy Scout Troop 637 and judges from the Wagoner County Courthouse.

Supporting this year's Survivor Committee were American Bank, First Bank and Trust, First National Bank of Coweta, Lake Region Electric Cooperative, Country Mart, Wal-Mart in Coweta and Wagoner, Armstrong Bank, Dr. Harmon, Steak Out Sports Grill, Corporate Express Document and Print Management and all Relay for Life teams.

"We are so pleased with 2007 and look forward to next year with more teams and raising a lot more money," Ramsey said, and Murray agreed.