Christian County Relay for Life Week kicked off Monday afternoon with a balloon release to honor and remember those who have been lost to cancer.
The release is always an emotional event, as attendees write the names of their loved ones on pieces of paper and tie them to the balloons. Relay co-chair Pam Futrell says this year they made sure to get different colored balloons to represent the many forms of the disease that have affected so many families.
She says this starts Relay Week, which has an event happening at Five Below all week before the main event starts at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Stadium of Champions.
The theme of this year’s Relay is “We Need a Hero” and Hopkinsville Mayor Carter Hendricks and Christian County Judge Executive Steve Tribble read a proclamation declaring it Relay for Life Week. Futrell says in the 26 years of Relay, they have raised $2.6 to help those battling cancers and their caretakers.