Organizers of the seventh annual Jordan Scheer Memorial Children’s Relay for Life said the event was a success, despite having to be held indoors because of rain.
The event raised about $18,940.05 for the American Cancer Society.
Proceeds will go to the Franklin County Relay for Life.
The four-hour event was held Friday, April 27, at Washington High School. The leadership class organizes the event and Student Council helps run it.
“It is always an inspiration to see our local community of parents and children work together to celebrate, remember and fight back against cancer,” said Cathy Jinkerson, the students’ adviser. “I am very blessed to work with these remarkable high school students on a daily basis.”
The theme was barnyard and had the slogan “Welcome to the Farm, It’s the Place to Be. We Want to Round Up Cancer, to Have a Better World for You and Me!”
This year, more than 600 students in third through sixth grades from 15 area elementary schools attended the event.
“The seventh annual Jordan Scheer Children’s Relay for Life was a great success,” Jinkerson said. “The chairs and all the committees worked very hard to organize school assemblies, laps, entertainment, a memorial wall and an emotional closing ceremony remembering those who have lost their battle to cancer.”
One of the event chairs, Sarah Edler, said she was pleased with how the relay turned out.
“I think the kids had just as much fun as they would have if they were outside and it went just as well as it would have outside,” Edler said. “I think everything went pretty smoothly.”
Contest Winners
During the closing ceremony, winners of the poster and essay contest were announced. Winners in the third- and fourth-grade poster contest were Jeremiah Broadbent, first place, Fifth Street Elementary; Braden Marquart, second place, and Landon Kleekamp, third place, both students of St. Gertrude School.
Fifth- and sixth-grade poster contest were Colleen Kuchem, first place, Augusta Elementary; Anna Schneider, second place, Labadie Elementary; and Katrina Weiss, third place, Augusta Elementary.
Essay contest winners in the third- and fourth-grade division were Grace Reinken, first place, Labadie Elementary; Madison Kleekamp, second place, Fifth Street Elementary; and Alyssa Wienstroer, third place, St. John the Baptist-Gildehaus.
Fifth- and sixth-grade division winners were Nathalie Rains, first place, Augusta Elementary; Autumn Dalgetty, second place, Fifth Street Elementary; and LeAnn DeLargy, third place, Augusta Elementary.
Top fundraising schools also were honored during the ceremony.
The top fundraising school was St. John the Baptist-Gildehaus, with a total of $2,900.10. In second place was Beaufort Elementary with $$2,574.75 and in third place was Labadie Elementary with $2,230.75.
“I am extremely proud of the students, they worked so hard to raise all of the money and have an awesome event,” Edler said.
Closing Ceremony
Jordan Scheer’s sister, Sarah Delleart, took the stage to thank the students for their hard work.
“You have shown that you care about battling cancer,” she said to the students. “I can’t tell you how much that means to us.”
Delleart talked to the students about how much the Scheer family has missed Jordan since he passed away in 2005.
“Seeing all of you here walking, the chains, the money donated, the essays and posters — they bring a little piece of him back to us each year,” she said, adding that the relay has been a nice way to remember him.
The Franklin County Relay for Life Chairman Karla Frank and the American Cancer Society Staff Partner Tracy Skinner also thanked the students for their hard work and contribution to the relay.
Balloons representing each of the schools participating in the event were released in honor and memory of Scheer.
Schools that took part in the relay were Augusta, Campbellton, Clearview, Fifth Street, Labadie, Marthasville, South Point, Washington West, Beaufort, Clark-Vitt, Immanuel Lutheran, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Gertrude, St. John the Baptist-Gildehaus and St. Vincent.
