Relay for Life concludes with ‘cowboy arrests’
Cowboys will uphold the law at Relay for Life this weekend, and they expect to throw a bunch of cowpokes in jail, but it’s all for a good cause.
The Green River Cowboys will arrest anyone for a $3 donation during Friday night’s annual Relay for Life event, tying into the theme of “Rounding Up a Cure.”
“We are here to help and have fun doing it,” said cowboy Barry Jones.
The Green River Cowboys are a group of men from Adair and Taylor counties who perform horse mounted Wild West shows. The group is the only mounted Wild West Show group in Kentucky, said Jones.
The group plans to set up their jail cell for a performance at 7:30 p.m. at Booster Field. The cowboys will take $3 donations to arrest someone and put them in jail. The “accused” can bail himself out with a $1 donation.
The Cowboys started 10 years ago. They have performed the Jesse James Bank Robbery of Columbia during the Folklore of the Old West Festival and have starred in a film by Take7films entitled, “Dad The Hero and the Wild Wild West.”
“We are just a bunch of boys that like to get together and have fun,” Jones said. “There is not enough fun in the world.”
Events for Relay for Life will begin at 5 p.m. Friday and will continue until 5 a.m. Saturday. Registration begins at 5 p.m. with the opening ceremony at 6 p.m. Shelby Horn, an attorney and cancer survivor, is guest speaker.
Horn plans to speak on the importance of early detection in cancer and how people should get a colonoscopy when they become of age.
“If I think their old enough, I bring it up,” Horn said. “If it saves one life, it’s worth it.”
Horn was diagnosed with cancer a year ago. The cancer was discovered through a colonoscopy.
Horn decided to pursue the colonoscopy after a friend of his was diagnosed with colon cancer.
He and his friend both served in Vietnam. Soldiers in Vietnam were often exposed to chemicals.
Horn said he showed “no symptoms whatsoever” but the doctor showed him a photograph that showed cancer. He started radiation treatments and chemotherapy and eventually was operated on for cancer.
The operation, Horn said, was supposedly a success but caused perforation of the colon. He remained in the hospital for five weeks.
Horn survived and this month will go in for treatment for a full reversal. He now speaks out about the importance of early detection.
“Something so simple can save your life,” said Horn. “That’s my mission in life.”
As the evening continues, performer Carla Carroll will sing “Fight Like a Girl.”
At 7 p.m., laps to raise money for cancer research will begin.
Other fundraising events planned include a purse auction at 8 p.m. Team members use handbag purses to hold or not hold gift items.
“The purse can be really expensive and have nothing in it,” said Stephen Baker, head of Relay this year, “or it could be a really small purse with a lot of things in it.”
In addition to the purse auction, another event taking place this year will be the Manless and Womanless Beauty Contests. The beauty contests require each contestant to go out for an hour and gain $1 votes. The person with the most votes will win the competition. This event will take place at 8 p.m.
The annual luminary ceremony will take place at 9 p.m. Each person who has a luminary bag will be given a candle. For each name said, that bag will be lit and put around the field. This event is to commemorate those who have lost their lives fighting cancer and cancer survivors.
Other events planned for Relay for Life include small games such as egg toss, newlyweds, quilt relay, and others to take place throughout the night.
(Se a complete schedule on page 6.)
By Dean Childers
Voice Intern
