![[CREDIT: Megan Harney] Megan Harney and Lexi Coons on stage together at the 2015 Coventry Relay for Life. A virtual Relay for Life will be held Aug. 22 at noon.](https://warwickpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Harney-2015-Coventry-Relay.png)
WARWICK, R.I. — The inaugural 2017 Kent County Relay for Life, the annual festival fundraiser for research into cures, treatment and services for cancer patients, starts at 4 p.m. Friday at West Warwick High School’s track, lasting through 8 a.m. Saturday, assembling a bounce house, frozen T-shirt contest, raffles, food, lawn games and a concert by pop rock-country singer Megan Harney.
This is the third year Harney has performed at the annual event, a combined effort of the former Warwick and Coventry Relay for Life events. In 2016, the 22-year-old drew an enthusiastic following among Coventry Relay teammates and the public.
Admission is free at the 1 Webster Knight Drive location, though proceeds from food, games and all fundraising sales from the Kent County Relay’s 38 teams will help the event reach its $65,000 fundraising goal. So far, the event has raised $52,773 toward that mark.
Some friendly contests during the evening, (throughout which team members will walk the track to raise money to aid the search for a cure to cancer) include a mummy costume contest, baton contest, and best decorated campsite contest based on this year’s theme, Cancer Takes a Holiday.
That funding stands to aid doctors and researchers in their continuing efforts to research treatments for cancer. Research into gene therapy for breast cancer and immunotherapy cancer treatments.
The fundraising also goes to the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodges, where people who live far away from treatment can stay for free with a caregiver.  Examples of other services include the Road to Recovery and Look Good Feel Better.  ACS services and support can be found here or by calling 800-227-2345 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you’d like to field your own fundraising relay team, there’s still time to sign up beforehand at www.relayforlife.org/
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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