Relay for Life fund-raising closes at record $2.4 million
KEN SUGIURA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 2, 2006
Bake sales, raffles, carnivals and a 24-hour walkathon turned into another record-breaking year for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in Gwinnett County.
With the closing of its books on Thursday, the society tabulated $2.4 million, $150,000 more than its goal. No other Relay for Life in the world — and there are about 4,000 — raised more money.
"We just can't thank the community enough," said society area manager Randy Redner. "Nobody else does it like the Gwinnett community."
The Gwinnett relay, held May 12-13 at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds in Lawrenceville, retained its title as the society's leading relay fund-raiser for the fifth straight year. The second-highest total raised was about $1.3 million, Redner said. In the Gwinnett relay's 13 years, it has raised $17 million.
The Gwinnett relay received its biggest contributions from two companies, Scientific-Atlanta and Primerica, and Norcross High School.
The three raised about $359,000.
Teams representing churches, schools, neighborhoods and companies used all means to raise money.
At Norcross, in addition to traditional letter-writing campaigns, students held a carnival, a carwash and collected change, among other things. Then-principal Mary Anne Charron offered teachers two weeks of casual dress if they donated a certain amount, which they did.
"Teachers, when they can wear jeans, are positive about anything," said Norcross teacher and relay team cocaptain Kirsten Mixter.
One teacher promised to shave her head if she received $2,000 in donations. She received $3,500, Mixter said.
Money raised by the American Cancer Society goes to research, education, services and public policy.