12-hour event begins 7 tonight

By Tom Blakey

Transcript Staff Writer

For the first time, the Cleveland County Relay for Life is being held at the Little Axe High School football track, said Bryan Dupler, 2008 Relay chairman.

The relay begins at 7 tonight and lasts 12 hours, wrapping up at 7 a.m. Saturday. The Little Axe High School football field -- Home of the Indians -- is at 2000 168th Avenue NE.

"We learned about a month ago the Norman High School track would not be available due to the football field resurfacing," Dupler said. "We set out to find a new location, and for one reason or another, all viable locations were unavailable."

Norman North High School is hosting a track meet, the Moore field is being resurfaced, and other fields also were unavailable, Dupler said.

"We have three enthusiastic teams in this year's relay, made up of teachers and staff at Little Axe High School," he said. "They suggested we hold the relay there, we went out and looked around and thought it was workable -- so we moved it out to Little Axe for the first time ever."

Dupler said the Little Axe community has been "enthusiastic" about hosting the event.

"They've helped us in any way they could to pull it off -- and on very short notice," he said.

The last order of business is to let the entire community know about the new location, he said. "Our core teams know. Our main concern is for all cancer survivors and caregivers and anyone else who would like to participate, know about the new location so that they'll be able to come out and join us," he said.

The relay begins at 7 p.m. with opening ceremonies, a survivor lap, team laps, an honorary survivor dinner, a basket auction, a luminaria ceremony, sports tournaments, live music, talent shows and fun and games galore, Dupler said.

"We're going into this year's relay having already raised $90,000 -- Cleveland County is on fire for the relay," Dupler said. "Last year we went in with $87,000 and raised almost $25,000 the night of the relay.

"If people will come out and support us it will really add up," he said.

In 2007, over 3 million people walked in Relays for Life, raising a total of $405 million, organizers said. The two events in Cleveland County -- the OU Relay for Life, held on Parrington Oval, and the Cleveland County Relay for Life, held at Norman High School, together raised over $200,000.