Apr 29, 2015 2 min read

Anita Frances Morris settled into her rocking chair and beamed.

This 10-year-plus survivor of colon, skin, breast and bone cancer was ready to let the world know Friday she will be rocking for the cure at Rolling Meadows Nursing and Rehabilitation in Franklin Township.

“Is my tiara straight?” the 87-year-old said as she rocked in her chair.

The facility’s 13th annual Rock-A-Thon kicks off Greene County’s Relay for Life weekend with a fun day of fundraising, food, crafts and entertainment, lead by residents from the comfort of their rocking chairs.

In keeping with Relay tradition, there will be a survivors’ walk at 9:30 a.m. Friday for residents and staff alike, activities director Sharon Jeffries said.

“We have 13 survivors and two of them are staff,” she said. “All of us have been touched by cancer in some way, either ourselves or those we know. This is how we can give back to the community and honor and support those who are living with this disease.”

After the survivors’ walk, there will be rocking chairs manned by residents that will rock until the festivities wrap up at 4 p.m. and donations are cheerfully accepted. Seven years ago, Rock-A-Thon expanded to include live music, crafters, a bake sale and a Chinese auction of donated goods and crafts from businesses and local artists.

“We usually raise about $1,000 for Relay, and I’m hoping we can break that record this year,” Jeffries said. “Our bake sale is all homemade, and you should see the pies.”

The 2015 Relay for Life at the Waynesburg Central High School’s football stadium begins at 9 a.m. Saturday and ends 24 hours later Sunday. The public is invited to walk the track with survivors and their teams any time within that 24-hour period and support the cause with their donations. Luminaries will be lit at dusk Saturday in a special ceremony and the event concludes Sunday morning with a prayer service.

More information, including the schedule of events, is on the Greene County Relay For Life page on Facebook.