Relay for Life 2026 is in the books for this year. Saturday, August 8th, was a beautiful evening with mild temperatures and no humidity. Our Emcee’s for the evening were Riley Engbarth and Shelly Bassett. Shelly kept the crowd entertained throughout the evening with “quicky” deals, which was similar to “Let’s Make a Deal.”
As the luminary ceremony began, the sunset was absolutely beautiful! This year’s honorary chairs, Kim Maas and Carl Nyquist shared their personal experiences and stressed the importance of advocacy on behalf of one’s self to get the care you need.
The Butterfly Release was again sponsored by Todd Hieronimus. It was a very moving experience to see the butterflies take flight and bring our messages to loved ones. The Hope Garden did not disappoint. As the sun set, the candles lighting the luminaries glimmered in the evening dusk. The silent lap is always a touching experience as we walk the path in silence and view all the luminaries one last time for the evening.
This year our closing was done by Pastor Anna Tucker from Faith Community Lutheran Church. She touched on the emotions of cancer and how our feelings are all valid.
The resources provided by the American Cancer Society that are made possible by fundraising like the Relay for Life of Murray County are making a difference and we need to continue to fight so one day cancer will be no more.
The teams’ totals were: 1st Place Currie with $16,437.54, Team Fulda with $12,024.00, Minnwest Bank with $10,152.75, Schaap Sanitation with $8,968.85 and the Almich Family with $2,524.42 The total amount raised including corporate sponsorships, along with Malt and Pork Burgers was $63,840.05.
