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Willow Springs Middle School Principal Newsletter - January 18, 2018
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Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope everyone was able to stay warm this week. This was one of the coldest weeks I have ever experienced in my 18 years of living in Texas. I am looking forward to warmer weather this weekend.
Sincerely,
Kent Messer
Principal
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8th Grade Students to Visit Lovejoy High School
On January 26th, All WSMS 8th grade students will be visiting Lovejoy High School to learn more about the registration process and course offerings. Our 8th grade students will tour the building and see the facilities of different elective programs. They will also have the get to eat lunch in the LHS cafeteria. On the same day, 6th grade students will be visiting WSMS to learn more about our programs and courses as they prepare for registration.
- WSMS Winter Pep Rally 9:30--10:30. SCIS 6th grade students will participate in this pep rally once they arrive.
- 10:30--8th grade students depart for LHS, 6th grade students begin tour of WSMS. 6th grade students will visit all elective courses.
- 12:15--6th grade students depart for SCIS
- 1:30--8th grade students return to WSMS. All 8th grade students will attend periods 6-8 once they return.
8
th
Grade Yearbook Recognition Ads -
now through February 2nd
Parents wishing to purchase an 8th-grade recognition advertisement for the WSMS yearbook congratulating their child for their success at WSMS may do so online through Jostens from now until February 2nd. Parents must pay online and submit the artwork, photos and sentiment by going
here
.
WSMS 3 on 3 Basketball Tourney and Student Social - January 19th
Our winter social will be on January 19th from 6:00--8:00 p.m at WSMS. From 4:30--6:00 p.m., we will hold our annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the WSMS gyms. The cost is $30 per team, which will also admit your student into the social. Proceeds will go to the American Heart Association.
Students interested in playing in the 3 on 3 basketball tournament can register next week in the Student Support Center. Registration will close Thursday after school so we can organize the bracket.
Beginning at 6:00, we will have a DJ in the cafeteria and the gyms will be open for volleyball and basketball after the 3 on 3 tournament. Cost for the social is $8.00 on-line and $10.00 day of event. Tickets will be available online for purchase until midnight, January 18th. The day of the event they will be sold during lunches and at the door. Please
click here
if you would like to purchase your ticket online.
Students will have the opportunity to purchase pizza, snacks, and water at the dance.
All items can be purchased for $1.00--cash only. If your son or daughter is planning to purchase pizza, snacks, or water, please make sure they bring cash (preferably $1 bills) to the social.
Chaperones: You haven't lived until you have had the experience of chaperoning a middle school social. This is a rite of passage for middle school parents. Please sign up now to chaperone our social on January 19th. We need at least 14 chaperones for this event to be able to offer all the activities. Chaperoning is easy, very little work, and it's fun to watch the kids having a good time (they forget we are there). To sign up to chaperone, please go here. Please arrive by 5:45 pm and plan to stay until 7:45pm. **Please make sure you have completed your online volunteer clearance.**
Reminders about the Social Tomorrow Night
*This is not a date dance so middle school students will not need a date to attend.
*Students will not need to change clothes or get into any special attire. Students will wear what they would normally wear to school and must be in dress code.
*After school athletics will only practice during 8th period so students can participate in the 3v3 basketball tourney. Coaches will make adjust to their schedules so practices are over by 4:15.
*This is for Willow Springs students only, students who attend a campus other than Willow Springs will not be allowed to enter.
*Once school is dismissed at 4:00, students staying for the 3v3 tournament will report to the Auxiliary Gym until their first game begins at 4:30. All other students that will be coming to the social and dance will need to leave campus and return at 6:00.
*Social & Dance drop off will be in the back campus. Students will enter the Social & Dance through the courtyard doors.
Theatre Puppet Shows - Tuesday, January 23
WSMS Intro to Theatre classes have been making muppet magic! They will have an evening of Puppet Shows in the WSMS Black Box on Tuesday, January 23, at 6 pm. There is no admission fee but only 125 adult seats - plenty of rug space for little ones! The show should last no longer than 60 minutes (total - there are 7 puppet shows). We will be recording the puppets shows! Lemonade and cookies will be provided free of charge.
NJHS Meeting - Wednesday, January 24
The next NJHS meeting is Wednesday, January 24 at either 8:15 a.m. or 4:05 p.m. in room C104. Students need to bring current grades from Power School.
Geography Bee - Wednesday, January 25
All 7th and 8th grade history classes took a preliminary quiz to determine which students qualify for the National Geography Bee the week before finals. The school Geography Bee will be held January 25 at 4:15 p.m. in the WSMS library. Typically, about 30 students qualify for the school bee. Students that qualify for the school bee will receive a letter the week of January 8 letting them know specific details about the school bee. Additional information about the National Geographic Bee can be found
here
.
Winter Pep Rally - Friday, January 26th
Our Winter Sports Pep Rally will be Friday, January 26th in our main gym at 9:30 AM. We are needing to do a morning pep rally so our 6th grade students from SCIS can participate before they tour our school. We will have performances from our theatre, band, choir, orchestra, colorguard, dance, and cheer programs. We will also recognize all of our winter sports programs and other students who participated in competitions in the months of December and January.
All parents are welcome to attend and are encouraged to park in a parking space not designated as a fire lane in the front parking lot to enter and sign-in through the front office. Overflow parking is available in the back of the school and parents may enter and sign-in through the west courtyard door.
Group Photos and Retakes - Tuesday, January 30
Group photos day is Tuesday, January 30 with retakes for students that are new or missed portrait day for the yearbook. Please have your child dress in the appropriate attire recommended by their teacher for group photos or for portraits individually.
2018-2019 Registration Meetings
It is time to begin the process of registering current 6th, 7th, and 8th graders for the upcoming school year at WSMS and LHS! Middle school and high school counselors will begin speaking to students in late January about elective classes, core class selections, how to register online, and what to expect in the 2018-2019 school year. Parent Registration Presentations will be held on:
Daytime WSMS Registration Presentations
Parents of current 6th graders: At WSMS, January 30, 9am-10am Registration Information Meeting
Parents of current 7th graders: At WSMS, January 30, 11am-12noon Registration Information Meeting
Evening WSMS Registration Presentations
Parents of current 6th graders: At WSMS, January 30, 5:30-6pm - GT Information
Meeting
Parents of current 6th graders: At WSMS, January 30, 6 - 7pm Registration Information Meeting
Parents of current 7th graders: At WSMS, January 30, 6:30 - 7pm - GT Information meeting
Parents of current 7th graders: At WSMS, January 30, 7 - 8pm Registration Information Meeting
LHS Registration Presentations
Parents of current 8th graders: At LHS, February 12, in the evening, 6pm - 8pm
Parents and current 8th graders: LHS Elective Showcase, February 12, Immediately following meeting
Counselors from WSMS and LHS will be meeting with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to discuss registration during the school day.
For a complete registration timeline, please click
here
.
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Campus Information and Reminders
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Winter Illness
Due to the alarmingly high number of Flu cases being seen in Dallas and surrounding communities, we just wanted to remind you of the District Policies about students attending school with illnesses. Students MUST STAY HOME from school if they have experienced vomiting, diarrhea, or a fever of 100.0 or higher in the last 24 hours, without the use of medications to lower the fever, or stop the vomiting or diarrhea. This will help prevent the spread of illnesses to other students and staff as well as prevent your own child from contracting another illness since their immune system is already still low and trying to recover from their previous illness. Please read the attached letter about Flu from the CDC by clicking HERE.
January Nutrition Newsletter
WSMS Yearbook Extended Sales - is February 2
Happy New Year! Now that we are in 2018, the last day to order a yearbook approaches in one month. Order online to guarantee your child's 2018 yearbook with an extended sale from February 2. We will need to give our yearbook order number total to our publisher and need an accurate sales count so please do not miss this deadline. We cannot guarantee your child a yearbook if you miss the order deadline. Click
here
to place your order today.
PTA Reflections
A huge thanks to all PTA Reflection participants! Our students did an excellent job on their entries and should be very proud of their work. Congratulations to the following students on their placement at the Council level and to Arya Raju earning an Overall Award of Excellence, and moving on to State.
Literature
Jenna Garcia - Award of Excellence
Lauren Dumin - Award of Merit
Shruti Subramaniyan - Award of Merit
Jake Pickens - Honorable Mention
Hudson Thomas - Honorable Mention
Galen Ezell - Honorable Mention
Photography
Maxwell Nwanebu - Award of Merit
Visual Arts
Madison Stutler - Award of Excellence
Student Attendance
One of our focus areas for this year is to increase our student and teacher daily attendance on campus. Research shows that the more students are in class with their teacher, the more they will learn over the course of the school year. The more students learn, the more success and confidence they will have in middle school. To promote this, we will be recognizing students and staff who have perfect attendance during each six weeks. Please assist us by working with your son or daughter to ensure they are getting enough rest, eating a healthy diet, and are taking care of themselves overall. In addition, our new state accountability system uses student attendance as criteria for evaluating the performance of schools. We also receive state funding based on our "Average Daily Attendance" of students that are present after 10:00 AM. As you begin to plan out of town trips this spring, please consider keeping your children in school through the Friday before each break. Let's work together to encourage our students to be in class every day.
2
rd
Nine-Weeks Student Perfect Attendance
First Semester Student Perfect Attendance
Coding Clubs at Willow Springs - Dates Have Changed!
Does your student enjoy technology? Do they gravitate to computers? Willow Springs and UT Dallas are partnering to bring Computer Coding Clubs to our campus. Spring dates have changed to allow more students to sign up.
Classes will now begin January 31st
. WSMS coding clubs are held on Wednesday afternoons from 4-5. Please
click here
for more information and registration.
If you are interested in UT Dallas spring break or summer coding camps, please click here.
"Engaged in a Healthy Lifestyle" Suicide Prevention Parent Presentation - February 20
We will have a parent preview of our "Engaged in a Healthy Lifestyle" / Suicide Prevention program after the 9:45am general PTA meeting on Tuesday, February 20th in the WSMS aux gym.
"Engaged in a Healthy Lifestyle" Suicide Prevention Student Presentations - February 27 & 28
We
"
will present Engaged in a Healthy Lifestyle" / Suicide Prevention information to WSMS students on Tuesday February 27th and Wednesday February 28th through 7th period classes. If you have any questions or concerns about this presentation please contact WSMS counselors, Kay Bordelon at 469-742-8424 or Kathy Stone at 469-742-8423.
Academic UIL
Academic UIL contest is approaching! Coaches are in the process of selecting teams, and it is not too late to tryout. All students in grades 7 and 8 are eligible to try-out for a team. Students may compete in as many events as they would like as long as the events they enter compete at different times during the competition day.
Click here
for the schedule of events. Please see the coach of any event you are interested in and remember that you can compete in multiple events. There is something for everyone!
Important note:
The contest is February 23-24, 2018. The contest location is Coppell Middle School North, 120 Natches Trace, Coppell, TX 75019.
Please click here for the Academic UIL contest descriptions, coaches, and tryout times. Practice times will be determined by the coaches.
Save the Date: STAAR Testing This Spring
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Date
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Event
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Who?
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Tues. April 10
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Grade 7 Writing STAAR
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All 7
th
Grade
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Grade 8 Math STAAR
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8
th
Grade Pre-Alg
8
th
Grade Geometry
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Grade 8 EOC Rotations
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8
th
Grade Algebra
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Wed. April 11
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Grade 8 Reading STAAR
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All 8
th
Grade
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Grade 7 - Regular Class Day
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All 7
th
Grade
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May 7 - May 11
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STAAR Algebra EOC Exam
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7
th
Grade GT Math
8
th
Grade Algebra
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Mon. May 14
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Grade 7 Math STAAR
Grade 8 Math STARR Retest
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All 7
th
Grade (except GT Math)
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Grade 7 GT Math Rotations
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7
th
Grade GT Math
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Grade 8 FitnessGram
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All 8
th
Grade
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Tues. May 15
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Grade 7 Reading STAAR
Grade 8 Reading STAAR Retest
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All 7
th
Grade
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Grade 8 Sci/SS Rotations
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All 8
th
Grade
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Wed. May 16
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Grade 7 FitnessGram
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All 7
th
Grade
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Grade 8 Science STAAR
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All 8
th
Grade
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Thurs. May 17
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Grade 8 Soc. Studies STAAR
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All 8
th
Grade
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Grade 7 - Regular Class Day
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All 7
th
Grade
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Mom, Mr. Messer was my substitute?
Over the course of this year, the Willow Springs administrative team has made it a priority to be in classrooms connecting with students and staff throughout the learning process. When a teacher needs to be absent, our admin team has had the privilege of getting back into the classroom to teach lessons in all subject areas. This opportunity has allowed us to better implement the curriculum, support our teachers with their lessons, and get to know and understand our students in a classroom setting. Being in the classroom has been a positive experience for our teachers and students that we plan to continue this spring.
Interested in Becoming a Mentor?
Willow Springs is seeking strong adult volunteers to become mentors on our campus. An effective mentor understands that his/her role is to be dependable, engaged, authentic, and tuned into the needs of the student. Becoming a mentor is a great way to pay it forward, make a positive impact on a student's life, and make a positive impact on your own life!
If you are interested in becoming a mentor at WSMS, please contact Kathy Stone at [email protected].
School Store
The LHS Store is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. The WSMS Store is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 11:15 AM - 1:15 PM. In addition to Lovejoy spirit wear, there are a limited number of grade-level spirit shirts for pep rallies, athletic events, and field trips to identify them as a WSMS student, also available for sale in the school store.
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Cold Weather Reminder
Parents please remind your student-athlete to bring warm clothing for athletics. Off-season in particular will practice outside if the temperature is above thirty-two degrees.
WSMS Wrestling
Over the weekend our team finished a strong 3
rd
place out of 19 teams at the St. Mark's middle school tournament. All 11 of our wrestlers won at least one match and six came away as placers:
4
th
place: Anthony Lapenshon
3
rd
place: Jackson Dubree, Dylan Breaux
2
nd
place: Mercer Ashley, Brian Kotecki
Champion: Trent Rucker
To see all of the results from the middle school tournament yesterday at St. Mark's, please
click here
.
Basketball News
Girls 7th Basketball vs Ereckson
A team - Won
B team - Won
C team - Lost
Boys 7th Grade vs Ereckson
A team - Lost
B team - Won
C team - Won
Parent Meeting for WSMS Track and Field - Tuesday, February 6th
There will be a parent meeting for the WSMS TRACK AND FIELD team (both boys and girls) on Tuesday, February 6th from 7:15-8:00 in the Willow Springs Cafeteria. If your child is interested in participating in Track and Field this spring, it is very important that you attend this meeting. Please email Coach Carly Littlefield [email protected] with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Foundation for Lovejoy Schools
Give to the Foundation via AmazonSmile
If you plan on purchasing items from Amazon.com, please consider visiting Amazon Smile. Amazon established AmazonSmile to give back 0.5% of the price of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to charitable organizations. When you are ready to shop, log in to your Amazon account by visiting the
AmazonSmile
website for the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools. Once you have logged in, you will have access to the same products, same prices and same service you find at amazon.com. Thank you for your support of the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools.
PTA Reflections
The National PTA Reflections program encourages students of all ages and abilities to explore and be involved in the arts. Through the program, National PTA, Lovejoy Local and Council PTAs, and PTAs across the country invite students in Preschool through grade 12 to create and submit original works. This year's contest theme was "Within Reach." The Lovejoy Council of PTAs is proud to announce the award recipients for the Council Level Reflections contest. Please
click here
for the listing.
Seventeen students received the Overall Award of Excellence and are advancing to the state level of the competition. Congratulations to:
Primary (K-2)
Dance:
Isabella Porter
, PES
Literature:
Conor Vermie
, PES
Photography:
Riley McCarter
, PES
Visual Arts:
Lerin Davis
, HES
Intermediate (3-5)
Dance:
Addison McCaffity
, LES
Literature:
Audrey Morgan,
PES
Music:
Mary Sheridan
, HES
Photography:
Emersyn Runions
, SCIS
Visual Arts:
Marisa Green
, SCIS
Middle School (6-8)
Literature:
Arya Raju
, WSMS
Visual Arts:
Jocelyn Kim
, SCIS
High School
Film:
Jackie Carroll
, LHS
Literature:
Jack Czyz
, LHS
Music:
Ryan Schlimme
, LHS
Photography:
Major Friesland
, LHS
Visual Arts:
Mary Johnson
, LHS
Special Artist
Photography:
Gavin Lauter
, SCIS
Lovejoy High School Music Theatre - Presents
The Sound of Music
Climb every mountain, ford every stream, and follow every rainbow to Lovejoy High School to see Lovejoy High School Performing Arts' musical,
The Sound of Music
. The musical is considered one of the masterpieces of modern musical theatre and marked the culmination of the epic Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration. It will be presented
January 18th - 20th
at 7:00 PM in the Lovejoy High School Auditorium.
Based on a true story in 1938 at the town of Salzburg, Austria,
The Sound of Music
is a story of love, family, and a life with music. Maria (played by Senior,
Hannah Hansen
), a young postulant, is too high-spirited for the religious life of a nun, so she is dispatched to serve as governess for the seven children of the widowed Captain von Trapp (Senior,
Jack Supan
), a family that Maria slowly begins to fill with joy, laughter, and music.
The Sound of Music
is a show for everyone, and includes beautiful inspirational music and characters whom audiences will adore, such as Captain von Trapp's "wealthy and sophisticated" would-be fiancée Baroness Elsa Schräder (Senior,
Raegan Vaughn
); the von Trapp children: Liesl (Junior,
Marcie Sawyers
), Friedrich (Willow Springs 8th Grader,
Aidan Abramson
), Louisa (Freshman,
Grace Felton
), Brigitta (Freshman,
Catherine O'Brien
), Kurt (Sloan Creek 5th Grader,
Brock Bernal
), Marta (Sloan Creek 5th Grader,
Rachel Dobbs
), and Gretl (Puster Elementary 4th Grader,
Sophie Brooks
); as well as Captain von Trapp's great friend and music producer Max Detweiler (Sophomore,
Zachary Joyner
).
The Sound of Music
offers beloved and iconic songs such as "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "Edelweiss," and "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," filling the show and audience with both heart-warming and heart-wrenching emotion for this timeless classic.
Tickets are $12 for students, seniors, and staff, and $16 for adults. Tickets may be purchased by
clicking here
.
This inspirational musical will become one of your "Favorite Things!" Be sure to see the show at the Lovejoy High School Auditorium.
Free Girls Lacrosse Try-It Practices - January 22nd and January 24th
Lovejoy Lacrosse will host two free try-it practices for all Lovejoy girls in grades K - 8. The practices will be held on Monday, January 22nd (at Lovejoy High School), and Wednesday, January 24th (at Willow Springs Middle School). The try-it practice times will be as follows for both days:
Kinder/2nd graders
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
3rd/4th graders
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
5th/6th graders
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
7th/8th graders
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
No lacrosse experience is necessary and there is no need to register. It will be a fun, no pressure environment where Lovejoy girls can try lacrosse and parents can learn about the Lovejoy Lady Leopards Lacrosse program. For additional information, please visit the Lovejoy Lacrosse website at
www.lovejoylacrosse.com
.
Volunteers Needed for the Frisco College Baseball Classic
The Frisco College Baseball Classic is returning to the Dr. Pepper Stadium, March 2nd - 4th. Texas A&M, Baylor, Louisiana Tech, and Cal Berkeley will be playing in a round robin tournament.
The Frisco College Baseball Classic is partnering with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for this event and is looking for volunteers to help throughout the weekend. Students in grades 8 - 12 mayclick here to register to volunteer.
Relay for Life Luminarias
Relay for Life is selling Luminarias for the Relay for Life event on April 6th at Lovejoy High School. Luminarias honor those whose lives have been affected by cancer. You may dedicate a Luminaria to a loved one who lost their battle with cancer, someone currently battling cancer, or anyone who has overcome cancer. When you attend the Relay event, you will see the Luminarias placed around the track, decorated with names and sometimes messages to whom they are dedicated. Luminarias are $10. If you would like to purchase one, please
click here
.
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