The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Gordon County will hold kickoff celebration on Saturday, Jan. 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Gordon County will officially get underway as event volunteers and participants gather for a kickoff celebration to launch their fundraising efforts for the year.

The event’s location is secret and participants will find it during a Road Rally that will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Depot parking lot, organizers said.

The Road Rally is like a scavenger hunt. Upon receiving your first clue at The Depot, you drive around the area, finding new clues as you go. The final clue will lead you to the secret location of the Kickoff Celebration.

The more diversified the group in your car, the faster you will arrive at the party. A sealed Emergency Envelope with the final destination details will be given with the first clue for any teams that get lost. The first 5 teams to arrive at the Kickoff Celebration without opening the Emergency Envelope will win a special prize!

Lunch will be provided at the celebration. There will be a performance by Joseph Evans of Dalton. Information will be presented on volunteer opportunities, cancer survivor participation, forming a team, fundraising and much, much more.

The Relay For Life of Gordon County is looking for new teams and volunteers to participate in the 2010 Relay For Life of Gordon County Event to take place on May 7, 2010.

The ACS’s Relay for Life is the world’s largest grassroots fundraising movement, Relay For Life mobilizes communities throughout the country to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and provide participants with an opportunity to fight back against the disease. Relay brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups . . . people from all walks of life – all aimed at furthering the American Cancer Society’s vision of creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

Relay For Life began in 1985 with one man who walked and ran around a track for 24 hours and raised $27,000 for the American Cancer Society.

This year, Relay For Life will take place in nearly 5,100 communities in the United States and 20 other countries and will raise funds to support the Society’s mission of saving lives by helping people stay well, by helping people get well, by finding cures and fighting back.

0124 CityBOE Michele Taylor thanks Frances Mullins for her service and dedication to the school. Mullins was named employee of the month at the first City Schools board meeting of the year. Karissa Stewart/STAFF



Also during the Jan.19 meeting:

n Financial director Don Hood shared a report on the special purpose, local-option sales tax with board members. The SPLOST revenues were more than $15,000 for the month of December. According to Hood, the SPLOST was received on Dec. 29, 2009 and is used to pay off bond debt.

n Approved Jan. 7 and Jan. 8, 2010 as a furlough days for staff members. Schools were closed for snow half a day Jan 7 and all of Jan. 8. Teachers are required to take three furlough days, and will have one and a half days to make up.