Annual fall festival held to benefit cancer support agencies

Jason E. Silvers/Tribune photo Youngsters ride in a live horse carousel Saturday during the 10th annual Relay for Life/The Sharing Bucket Fall Festival Saturday at the farm of co-organizer Lavetta Simmons.

Nearly $13,000 was raised last week in the local fight against cancer.

Lavetta Simmons, co-organizer of the 10th annual Relay for Life/The Sharing Bucket Fall Festival which took place Saturday at Simmons' farm, said total numbers tallied so far show that $12,846 was raised for the cancer support effort.

Simmons said funds raised came from donations throughout the week, as well as ticket sales and fundraising booths set up for the festival. Previews of the festival were held through the week for area students and other groups to take part in some of the kid-friendly activities that were available.

"It was not all that one day," she said. "We had groups come in through the week. It's amazing how we can come together as one and we're able to make this much to turn around and donate back to our community during their cancer journey."

Last year's event brought in about $8,900 for the group's efforts to help local cancer survivors. Simmons said the event has grown each year since its inception.

While organizers do not track attendance, Simmons said she would guess that about 1,500 people turned out for the festival and the event previews during the week.

"I feel it was more than that between the workers and the visitors," she said.

About 500 students got previews of the event through school field trips. The event has averaged about 1,500 people in attendance in recent years.

The event also included more than 1,000 pumpkins in the pumpkin patch - nearly 10 times as many pumpkins as were needed for the 2007 event - that was part of the event. Kids were able to walk through the pumpkin patch and find a pumpkin to take home with them.

"The pumpkins were all gone," she said. "It was an amazing, beautiful fall day."

The event also included wagon rides, face and hair painting, a petting zoo, a live horse carousel and several other activities. Several volunteers organize the event, which benefits the local cancer support organizations and their efforts to help those battling cancer. The Sharing Bucket assists local cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and their family members with travel, medical expenses and other costs.

About $2,500 was raised at the 2007 event.