By By Lisa Tindell – news writer
With nearly $45,000 in contributions as of Tuesday, Relay for Life organizers are pleased with the efforts of 12 teams for the 2007 event.
The annual event was held Saturday on the Brewton YMCA campus with 12 teams participating and eight campsites being set up for the 12-hour event. Numerous contests were held throughout the day, giving teams a chance to compete against each other for Relay bucks.
Miniature Oscars were handed out to winners of every description during the awards ceremonies held just before the midnight closing of the event.
The most anticipated event was the Womanless Beauty Pageant. Mabel (Mabry) Cook was chosen as the winner of the pageant as he represented the team from T.R. Miller High School.
Another popular contest was the Relay Idol contest. The final three contestants competed for the top spot during a late-afternoon performance. The final competition was between Johnathan McElwee, representing the Escambia County Courthouse team; Heath Madison, representing Smurfit Stone's team; and a trio made up of Jesse Edwards, Daniel Hodge and Travis Hodgen, representing Jefferson Davis Community College.
During the awards ceremony held just prior to the closing of day, the JDCC trio was announced as the official Relay Idols for 2007. Edwards, Hodge and Hodgen took the stage to accept their Oscar.
Other winners in the Relay events were:
Best Team Spirit - Brewton Middle School; Best Team Cheer - T.R. Miller High School; Top Fund Raising Individual - Allie Huff with T.R. Miller High School; Best Dramatic Situation - T.R. Miller High School; Best Comedic Situation - Smurfit Stone; Sanjaya Award - Jefferson Davis Community College; Best Campsite - Smurfit Stone with the Wizard of Oz; Best Cancer Fact - Smurfit Stone; Best Baton - Escambia County Courthouse.
Teams erecting campsites following the movie theme were Smurfit Stone - Wizard of Oz; D.W. McMillan Hospital - Lilo and Stitch; Brewton Medical Center - Beaches; Jefferson Davis Community College - Cars; T.R. Miller High School - Pirates of Carribean; Brewton Middle School - The Incredibles; Escambia County Courthouse - Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Relay for Life is an annual fund-raising event to benefit the American Cancer Society.