MOUNT VERNON – With everyone gathered around the middle of Public Square – the survivors, the caregivers, and simply those there in support – things quieted as Jody Rutter leaned into the mic.
“So I’m sure the big question is, ‘Why do things look so different?’” she said.
Friday night marked a change in tradition for Knox County’s Relay for Life, as it was the first time in the event’s 22-year history that it was held in downtown Mount Vernon. It was also six hours this year instead of 12, going from 6 p.m. until midnight.
Rutter, who is on the Event Leadership Team, told this year’s participants during the opening ceremony that she appreciated their patience.
“This event saves lives, and that’s just the bottom line. It saves lives. In order to do that and to continue to do that, we’ve gotta grow,” Rutter said. “We have to grow our event, we have to keep raising money.
“So we really thought that moving it down to the public square, shortening the hours a little bit, being a little flexible, we could grow our event.”
The change in location and time did not seem to affect this year’s turnout, as a large crowd attended on Friday night. Event Leadership Team member Courtney Ross said that attendance numbers (which usually range from 300-400 registered participants) were likely higher than the year before.
After Rutter’s opening remarks, the cancer survivors in attendance led off the relay with a ceremonial ‘survivor lap,’ walking around Public Square to a warm applause from those stationed on the inner circle.
A concern from participants coming into this year’s event was the incline of the loop around the square, which could make completing a lap difficult for some. Participants were given options, however. Rutter made it clear, especially to the survivors in their opening lap, they they need not worry about the task of completing the lap – their war, in fact, had already been won.
“The beauty about this event is, you can be flexible,” Rutter told the crowd. “You can go all the way around the square, you can cut through the middle, you can sit on the blanket in the center. Whatever you need.”
While some participants admitted that they were initially skeptical of the event’s changes this year, most seemed to believe that they would have a positive impact moving forward.
“I was kind of apprehensive, but so far it’s been nice,” said Judy Allender, who sat with her friends from the Kiwanis Club. “And I don’t know whether the turnout has been as good, it’s hard to tell. But by the way it all turned out, I think it’s good.”
Sitting on a bench with her family on one end of the park, volunteer Kim Mack felt that the move to downtown was necessary.
“I think it’s just something that everybody needs to get used to now. I think it’s a fun way to kind of shake up the event a little bit and try something different,” Mack said. “I’m hoping that we’ll have a lot more visibility here, so that the public will come down and join us.”
During the relay, local food vendors sold snacks and refreshments around the square, with a portion of the proceeds going towards the American Cancer Society. Live music rang out late into the night, as the array of classic pop hits and inspirational tunes could be heard from several blocks away.
Inside the square, there was a mix of emotions. Friends and families smiled, hugged and sometimes cried, out of sadness or joy or both.
The event brought a diverse crowd together for celebration on Friday night. Mount Vernon police officer Matt Haver, who served as the captain of the department’s relay team, explained why.
“I think it’s something that, to me, we all face,” said Haver, who survived a brain tumor at the age of six. “We all know somebody that’s had cancer, whether it’s a family member or a friend. Whether it’s personal (or not). It’s just a fight that we’re all in.”
Knox County’s Relay for Life had raised over $46,000 for cancer research by the start of Friday’s event, and Rutter said earlier this week that the bulk of the donations typically come during the event itself. 25 teams signed up to participate this year, as a mix of families and businesses got involved.
At 10 p.m., the luminaries around the outer edge of the circle were lit, honoring those who have lost to, are currently battling, or have overcome cancer.
Volunteers like Rutter explained earlier this week that the Event Leadership Team decided to move the event downtown this year following feedback from participants in a survey after last year’s race. Participants said that they wanted to change things up, as it had been at the Mount Vernon High School track for the last four years and they believed that taking the event downtown would engage more community members and local businesses.
Participants also suggested that they make the event six hours instead of 12 in order to accommodate those with families or busy weekend schedules.
Despite these changes, however, the event held its meaning on Friday. It maintained its message, echoed by Rutter for all to hear.
“We want this to be an event that we continue to be proud of every year, and something that everyone can participate it – even the busiest of people can participate it. The old, the young; we want everyone to feel welcome. We want to put an end to cancer,” Rutter said.
“I assure you, the integrity of the event is still intact. We’re going to honor our survivors, we’re going to remember those that we’ve lost, and we’re going to make a pledge to come back next year, and the next year, and the next year, until we’re done with this disease.”
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