Relay for Life is upon us

On Saturday, July 11 Tehachapi will host another event that will raise money for the American Cancer Society, Tehachapi’s own Relay for Life.

My team, which is called TEAM WALKABOUT for my Australian heritage, is planning a great experience to help with that money raising effort. Our area will be decorated with all things Australian, which will include Aussie stuff and Aboriginal artifacts that I hope will be interesting to people. There will be drawings and raffles for two quilts made by the Tehachapi quilting guru, Cathy Criger. One is made from all Australian Aboriginal design fabric and another is a pink “breast cancer” motif design. We have a genuine Aborigine decorated Didgeridoo, an Australian food and wine basket and a Souza Vineyard wine basket with Australian wine in it. There is a “barbie” donated by K-Mart that you can throw your shrimp on, and several other items.

Since the theme for our team is Australia, we are going to walk the track resembling Aussie “swagmen” (hobos) carrying their “bluey” (bedroll). Sometimes the bluey is also called Matilda, hence the song “Waltzing Matilda”, which refers to a swagman walking around the countryside looking for work or a handout carrying his bedroll that he calls Matilda. Please don’t ask me where all these sayings and names come from as I don’t know for sure, but they probably just grew from the language and slang of the period.

Rhonda and I will be there for most, if not all of the time and will have the use of our friends Vic and Charisse’s 5th Wheel for the event. None of that sleeping on the hard old ground for us. No sirree.

We have a great team of people helping us and some very generous sponsors, so we hope to raise a significant amount of money for this great cause. If you have the energy and the time come by my office on South St and Cathy will help you sign up as a team member or you can sign in at the event and walk a lap or two with us. The event will be held at Coy Burnett Stadium on E. Tehachapi Blvd.