Chilton County’s annual Relay For Life was a great success, with about 2,500 people participating and more than $160,000 being raised for the fight against cancer.

Weather was both a positive and negative factor for this year’s event. Storms last week ravaged parts of the state, killing hundreds. Not even Chilton County was safe from the tornadoes, as a small one touched down near Verbena and damaged some homes.

Many county residents had friends and family members in Birmingham or Tuscaloosa affected by the storms, but that didn’t seem to harm Relay’s turnout. Tents and booths lined the track and Clanton City Park, and smoke from grills filled the sky.

The event was aided by beautiful weather Friday. Shorts and sunglasses were needed as the first few laps around the track were turned in.

It was great to see Chilton County residents support Relay despite the destruction caused by the storms. Relay is an overnight event because cancer never sleeps, and the disease persists even if our attention is turned to other worries.

Some groups and individuals deserve special recognition: Lime Springs United Methodist Church ($17,600), Mineral Springs Baptist Church ($11,169) and Jemison Elementary School ($8,126) were the top three fundraisers. Mac Traywick was the top individual fundraiser, and Ann Glasscock did a commendable job as Relay chairwoman.

“Personally, I had the honor of holding the microphone as survivors came up and told their stories,” Glasscock told The Clanton Advertiser. “Looking into their eyes and hearing their stories—some had been survivors for 20 and 30 years, and some were small children. They were able to stand there and say I have survived and I am surviving. That was the best part for me.”