ELKINS — For the first time since 2019, the American Cancer Society will present a Relay for Life event in Randolph County on Saturday.   

The fundraising tradition, which was put on hold because of COVID in 2020 and then did not resume, will take place at the Elkins Depot Welcome Center on Railroad Avenue and will run from 5 p.m to 11 p.m.    

Randolph County Relay for Life Director Becca Talpas told The Inter-Mountain Monday she was happy to see the event return to Elkins.   

“We are really excited that Relay for Life is making a return to Randolph County,” Talpas said. “We have not had a relay event since 2019, and back then it was under different people, who we reached out to and said they weren’t interested in doing it anymore. So I reached out to the American Cancer Society and they let me bring it back… Before COVID it was such a big event here.”     

Relay for Life events take place globally each year during the spring and summer months. The events are offered in community spaces, and feature teams taking turns walking a designated area to raise money for cancer research. Relay for Life is an event in which community members can come together to celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against cancer.   

“I have always been highly involved with Relay for Life because I had one grandmother pass away from breast cancer and another from colon cancer,” Talpas said. “With Relay for Life we are hoping to raise money for research and bring awareness to the community.”   

Talpas said that cancer survivors would be honored during this weekend’s event, which will feature food, craft and business vendors, and games and activities for children, including bounce houses.    

“We will be honoring local cancer survivors and we also want to recognize the caregivers, because they are really important,” Talpas said. “One team that has registered is doing a spaghetti dinner at the Centerbranch Church Family Center, and we are going to have a bunch of stuff for the kids like bouncy houses, face painting and balloon animals. Our theme is the circus and we will also have some entertainment from local dancers and a DJ playing music.”   

Luminaria bags are available to purchase for the event. The bags, which are made from decorative paper and hold candles, will be lit during a portion of the event dedicated to a moment of silence and recognition.     

Teams can still register for Saturday’s Relay For Life by calling Talpas at 304-940-1708.