Public Meeting - Relay For Life

In an effort to ensure open and honest communication, Carroll ISD will host a public Question & Answer session about the May 21 Relay For Life all-night fundraiser at Carroll High School.

Officials from Carroll ISD, the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the event volunteer planning committee will be present at the public meeting, scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, April 12 in the library of Carroll Middle School. Relay For Life is the official fundraiser for ACS. Already 122 teams and nearly 1,000 participants have signed up to participate in the Southlake event.

Event Chair Tracey Flores and Team Chair Kristie Millican say they are getting a lot of logistical questions from parents, teachers and individuals interested in learning more about the May event. School officials say they are seeking sound and lighting variances from the City of Southlake. A Planning & Zoning meeting on this event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, (April 8) at City Hall, Town Square. At this meeting school and ACS officials will walk P&Z representatives through the site plan, event schedule and other event-related plans. The City Council is slated to address the light and sound variances at their April 20 meeting.

Carroll ISD officials say they will kick off the May 21 evening with a 5 p.m. rally to celebrate Rachel's Challenge - the K-12 kindness and compassion program implemented at all CISD schools last year. This rally will feature guest speaker Dana Scott, sister of Rachel Scott, the first teenager killed at Columbine High School a decade ago. Families will be invited to come celebrate Rachel's Rally with food, fun and games. Immediately following at 7 p.m. opening ceremonies for Relay For Life will begin.

About 3,000-4,000 people are expected at this community event during peak times. CISD plans to run shuttle buses for remote parking and have on-site security and emergency personnel. Entertainment and game booths are scheduled throughout the evening with two stages and plenty of fundraising opportunities. Proceeds from the events go to benefit the American Cancer Society. At 7:15 p.m. Cancer Survivors will take a victory lap around the track and then they will be treated to a dinner, compliments of Cotton Patch. After that lap, teams of 8-15 people will have walkers/runners take turns making laps until 7 a.m. the next morning. Teams are fundraising now and will continue to fundraiser on-site.

School officials say they will have a "tent city" camp-out area on the football practice field for those team(s) wishing to rest throughout the night. You do not have to spend the night to participate, but after midnight, only those signed up to walk for a team will be permitted in the track area. Bracelets will help identify participants. Co-ed and teen teams will be in a special canopy area between the tennis courts and the football field. This area will involve rock climbing walls and games geared toward older students. A special toddler area with games will be available from 5 to 9 p.m. in the CHS fenced-in tennis court area.

At 10 p.m. the area will grow hushed as the luminaria candle-lighting ceremony honors survivors and remembers those who have lost a loved one to cancer.

Anyone wishing to learn more about Relay For Life, Southlake, should attend the April 12 meeting or visit our website at http://www.relayforlife.org/southlaketx

More to come on this exciting community-wide event. Go online and sign up for a team, join the Survivors' Celebration or donate today!