The main course is finished, but there are still a few leftovers to be served. This year's McDuffie County Relay For Life, themed "Cooking Up a Cure," ended at midnight last Friday night.
Co-Chairman Bob Knox, Jr., said not all the teams have turned in their money.
"Right now, we've got about $161,000, and still several teams to go," he said. "So, hopefully we'll get close to that $200,000 goal eventually. I think it's very good, and we are going to have more come, we just don't know how much."
Approximately 145 survivors donning their purple t-shirts walked the first lap to begin the Relay. Some walked more than one lap, and those who couldn't walk, rode in golf cars, as the crowd around the sides cheered them on and celebrated their lives.
"My wife had it, so I was a caregiver and I'm a survivor," said Doug Driver of Dearing, after he finished the first lap. "That old stuff is terrible, but if you trust in God, He will see you through."
The Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's premier fundraiser held as an annual event in communities across the nation. In McDuffie County, the event is held at the track at Thomson High School. Purple signs by the ACS lined the inside of the track revealing tips for cancer prevention.
"Early detection makes a difference," said Betsy Engel, who was walking the survivor lap with her husband, Gill, both from Thomson. "What one of us does, the other does. We even both got cancer at the same time, and tried to outdo each other."
Each team had their tent hopping with activities to raise more funds, such as selling dinners hot off the grill, churning ice cream, raffling big items and providing carnival-type games for the young people.
"It's cool because there's a lot of stuff to do," seven-year-old Laynie Derry said. "I liked the jail the best, just seeing the people have to go in there."
The jail-and-bail was part of the Thomson Elementary team's fundraiser. People could pay money to have a person put in a cyclone-fence jail, and that person had to raise their own bail to get out.
And even though it was her own team's project, Thomson Elementary Principal Anita Cummings found herself on the wrong side of the fence. A 4-year-old girl stood on the outside looking in and asked Mrs. Cummings what bad thing had she done to be put in jail. When Mrs. Cummings told her she needed help getting out, little Emma Pittman said she would not help a bad person.
"Emma, do you know who I am?" Mrs. Cummings teased as she bent down, eye-level with the small girl. "Do you go to J.A. Maxwell Elementary? Do you want to go to second grade?"
But the pre-kindergartener was not phased with the thought that she may have to face the TES principal in a few years - it turns out Emma lives in Dearing, where she will attend Dearing Elementary.
"Emma, you are just no help to me at all," Mrs. Cummings said as she stood back up.
And the elementary principal was not the only person facing problems in the jail. Mantrell Williams was having trouble raising his bail on his second time to be in there.
"I guess I violated my probation the first time," the Augusta resident quipped. "This is my first Relay in Thomson. I came for my church, Mt. Pleasant. I'm enjoying it. It's for a good cause."
Mr. Knox said they can still receive donations for the American Cancer Society for this year's Relay For Life through the middle of August. For more information on the Relay, or to make a donation, call Mr. Knox at 706-595-1841.
