AEDC Team members join in supporting Coffee County Relay For Life

  • Published
  • By Dee Wolfe
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Department of Defense and contract employees of Arnold Air Force Base joined together, along with their families, in participating in the Coffee County Relay For Life event April 21 at the Coffee Raider Academy as a way to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

According to Shawn and Dee Wolfe, the team captains for REMEMBER, their team raised $1,775 during their tenth event, and Nick Dahl, team captain for Test Operations and Sustainment contractor National Aerospace Solutions (NAS), stated his team raised $1,305 during their first event. Overall the event has raised over $22,000 to date.

Fundraising will continue until Aug. 31 and the event planners hope to meet their goal of $30,000.

On site fundraising for team REMEMBER consisted of face painting by Misty Layne, AEDC employee, and chair massages by Amber Haley of Serene Day Spa Manchester.

This year’s event was the biggest event in several years with 13 teams participating. The DOD and NAS team campsites were located side-by-side to encourage team work between the two teams.

The event kicked off with the Coffee County Air Evac Life Flight helicopter coming in for a slow pass over the football field and then landing in the parking lot.

After the opening comments, dozens of cancer survivors wearing purple T-shirts completed a lap in honor of their battle. The second lap around the track is dedicated to the caregivers who took care of friends or family members who have dealt with cancer. The third lap is a team lap where all team members complete a lap together.

This year’s event was extra special for Dee Wolfe, as her father, who is also a survivor, traveled from Illinois to attend this event.
After the initial laps were over, a firetruck delivered superheroes (Batman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman and Black Widow) and The Island Princess (Moana) of the Princess Parties by Ever After Productions Company to the track where they entertained event attendees and were available for pictures.

Even though this was the biggest event to date, the plans are to expand even more next year, as the goal is to fill the football field completely with teams and participants. If you are interested in participating next year, please contact (931) 454-4313, (931) 454-7824 or (931) 454-5202 for more information.

Coffee County Relay for Life is a local event held annually as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, an organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. For more information about the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life, visit www.cancer.org.