by Clayton Wallace
The cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are turning purple, and that’s just fine with city leaders. Resolutions that passed unanimously in both cities named April as “Cancer Awareness Month”. To highlight the month, and to bring attention to the annual Relay For Life on the Alabama Gulf Coast, the city’s have joined the American Cancer Society to “Paint the Town Purple”.
Purple has long been the signature color of Relay For Life, according to Relay Co-Chair Jeanne Fitzgibbons, and she said the Relay For Life Committee would like to encourage everyone to hang a purple bow, fly a purple flag or otherwise display purple at their homes and businesses.
According to Fitzgibbons, bows are now available at several locations around the island. “For a donation of $3 anyone can pick up a purple bow to put on mailboxes, lampposts, front doors, and anywhere else,” she said. “We encourage people to also make their own bows and even display purple flags.”
Bows are available at Orange Beach City Hall, Gulf Shores City Hall, Whitney Bank – Gulf Shores, Vision Bank – Orange Beach and The Beach Club. “Even if you can’t come out and take part in the Relay event on April 25, anyone can show support for Relay by helping us ‘Paint the Town Purple,’” Fitzgibbons said.
In part, the proclamations from the cities states, “The Relay For Life of The Alabama Gulf Coast is unique in this community in that it blends fundraising, cancer awareness and prevention activities, fellowship and support for cancer survivors, and this April will also host its first “Painting The Town Purple” event in conjunction preceding this year’s Relay For Life.”
The American Cancer Society will hold its annual Relay For Life of The Alabama Gulf Coast on April 25 at the Orange Beach Sportsplex. The national theme of this year’s Relay is “Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.”
This year’s goals, according ot Fitzgibbons are to celebrate more than 200 cancer survivors in our community, to remember those who have lost the battle against cancer, and to fight back by raising money to go towards research to end this horrible disease.
For more information on the Alabama Gulf Coat Relay event, contact Fitzgibbons at 981-1524 or jfitz@cityoforangebeach.com, or Co-Chair Janice Rayborn at 967-1212 or JRayborn@whitneybank.com.
