The 2019 Dallas County Relay for Life event was held Saturday evening, and a large amount of people showed up to support the fight against cancer, celebrate the survivors, and honor those who died from the disease.

The festivities were held in the Perry High School gym for the second straight year, as inclement weather prevented it from being held outside on the track. Organizer Gary Iles said moving the event inside isn’t ideal, but he feels it still gets the job done and they don’t lose any activities. Overall, Iles said he was pleased with how everything went this year. “I think it went pretty good! We had it seemed like a lot of people here, they all had a lot of fun, (and we’ve) been going almost nonstop. So yeah, I think we had a really good turnout, so I think it’s going to be a good year for us!”

The theme for the year was “Game On – Join the Fight! Playing Games, but Not with Cancer!”, and the laps and decor in the gym reflected that idea. There was also a speech by honorary survivor Kay Finneseth, the survivor and caregiver laps, the community dinner, and a silent auction, and the festivities concluded with the Luminaria and closing ceremony. Iles encourages anyone interested in getting involved with Relay for Life to do so, and he reminds them it’s for a good cause. “It’s still not won yet, the battle of cancer. And you never know what will happen with your own family or friends coming into this next year. If you can, if you want to join a team, start a team. Any kind of fundraisers you can do would be greatly appreciated!”

Iles adds, they will begin planning for next year’s event some time in the coming months, but he anticipates it will once again be held in September.