Valerie Humphreys, wearing her green "40 years" shirt in celebration of "Relay for Life's" 40-year anniversary this year, poses in front of the baskets generously put together by eight teams of participants.

'Baskets for a Cause' Fundraiser Ending Soon By Jennifer Bailey Staff Writer   Covington, VA (July 20, 2025) — In communities around the globe, the fight against cancer is so much more than a medical battle — it's a shared journey of like-minded individuals filled with resilience, hope, and community. For Alleghany County, this means an annual event featuring several fundraisers spanning many months and culminating into one big event. This year, it's called "Relay for Life 2025: Racing to End Cancer." The event is a collective one that features several vendors on one side of the Jackson River Sports Complex, and a car show — put on by the Alleghany Cruisers who generously donate their proceeds to "Relay to Life" — on the other. According to Humphreys, "Relay is about folks coming out and walking the track to raise money for cancer research and to support people affected by cancer. We walk to celebrate those who have survived, remember those lost, and raise money to help fight cancer." This massive event is scheduled this Saturday from 3 p.m. — 8 p.m., with the opening ceremony for "Relay for Life" at 6:00 p.m., the luminary ceremony at 9:00 p.m., and "U.B.U. The Band" performing from 6:00-10:00 p.m. One of the "Relay for Life" fundraisers is "Baskets for a Cause." This afternoon, the Journal caught up with Valerie Humphreys — one of this year's organizers for the annual "Relay for Life" event — at People's Bank to discuss the highly popular fundraising opportunity. The reason for our chosen meeting place was due strictly to the fact that it's the current location of the baskets. "What we do is each year we have the teams or individuals on the team put together a basket," Humphreys stated. "They can work together to get things, ask for donation from businesses, do it themselves, whatever. And then we display them around Covington, Clifton Forge, Low Moor areas throughout the summer..." Each basket, she said, is usually themed in some way, though that isn't always the case. Local members of the community can now view the baskets at People's Bank, located at 151 N. Court Avenue in Covington, and purchase tickets for a chance to win the basket of their choice. Each ticket costs $1 and participants are not limited to how many tickets they can purchase per basket or how many different baskets they can buy tickets for. When we asked if that meant one could put their name into each basket 20 times, Humphreys smiled and stated, "Absolutely. However much money they want to spend, we'll take it." Tickets may be purchased at the bank or on-location on Saturday up until 9:00 p.m. At that point, there will be a drawing from each one of the canisters containing the names of those who bought tickets and one lucky winner from each canister will win the basket they were vying for. Winners do not have to be on-site to win and those who are not will get a call to schedule delivery of the basket. All proceeds from "Baskets for a Cause," as well as the other ongoing "Relay for Life" fundraisers will go to benefit the American Cancer Society. "They [American Cancer Society] fund research to bring back things for local areas. So, when people sometimes say, 'Well it doesn't stay local.' But if we didn't have the research, then the local people might not have the types of trials or medications or funding for different things Hope Lodge." Hope Lodge is essentially a free hotel for cancer patients located near their treatment facilities. There are currently more than 30 of them across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Without the funding that the American Cancer Society receives, several local members in our community would do without crucial resources needed for their fight against cancer. In addition to the baskets, there are luminaries for sale by the "Relay for Life" organizers in honor of those who have fought, are currently fighting, or who lost their battles with cancer. The cost of the luminaries are $10 and can be purchased at the event or from any "Relay for Life" organizer. Humphreys concluded, "Just remember that 'Relay for Life' is this Saturday, from six to 10:00 p.m. at the Jackson River Sports Complex. There is a car show in conjunction with the relay... There are games and activities for kids and adults alike to win prizes throughout the evening, and there'll be some food sold on-site. Come and have a great time!"

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