Luminara bags line the pond at Parkersburg City Park during the 30th anniversary Relay For Life of Wood County in July. Thirty teams fought off the heat to participate in the 2024 event. (File Photo)

PARKERSBURG — New activities for participants of all ages will be part of Saturday’s Relay for Life of Wood County at City Park.

“I feel like we have a lot more for kids to do this year,” said Jessica Ross, event lead for the annual Relay, which raises money for the American Cancer Society. “We have a rock wall from the National Guard, we have a petting zoo, characters that are going to be walking around, face painting and carnival games.”

The event has had inflatables and other offerings for youngsters in the past but not as much for teenagers, she said.

“So the rock wall will be great for teens and older children,” Ross said. “And who doesn’t like a petting zoo?”

The theme of this year’s event is Relay Carnival.

“It opened up some creativity where we can have carnival games and we can have carnival foods,” Ross said.

There will also be a cookie trail, where attendees can pay a one-time fee to get a passport directing them to each participating campsite offering a different cookie.

People can also try their luck at satisfying their sweet tooth with a cake walk.

Another highlight coming back this year is the Road to Recovery race at 7:15 p.m.

It not only promotes the ACS program through which volunteers provide rides to treatment and doctor appointments, but gives participants a chance to be creative.

“They make little cardboard box cars that they can actually fit on them and race in,” Ross said. In keeping with the carnival them, “I know one of our teams is already making a Ferris wheel car.”

After silent auctions and country stores in years past, a live auction is planned for 6 p.m.

The Relay is open to the public.

Opening ceremonies are set for 5 p.m., with the first lap featuring cancer survivors planned for 5:30 p.m.

“I’m a breast cancer survivor of 27 years. I joined one of the local teams in Wirt County, and it’s been a big part of my life ever since,” Ross said.

Ross was eventually recruited to be a member of the planning team and then event lead for Wirt County’s Relay.

When she moved to Wood County, she joined the Relay in Parkersburg and has been event lead for four years.

“I just want to give back,” Ross said. “I want to try to raise money to find a cure. I have a 19-year-old daughter, and I don’t want her to ever have to hear those words. … I just want to do what I can to eliminate cancer.”

This year’s Relay has a fundraising goal of $100,000, and Ross said teams have already logged nearly $76,000.

“I have no doubt that we will just surpass our goal this year,” she said. “I’m really excited about it.”

That money’s been raised through a variety of efforts like bingo, monthly lunches and the Slip Slop Slap two-mile race at City Park earlier this month, which promoted skin cancer awareness.

Fundraising will continue during Saturday’s Relay with raffles and more, as well as at other events this summer.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com