Cancer survivors honored at Relay For Life reception

This year’s Relay For Life of Mansfield on Friday, June 17, was honored to serve dinner to approximately 90 people, all cancer survivors, their caregivers and family, in what has become an annual tradition.

“It was a reception of living miracles,” said Marjorie Begin, survivor chair on this year’s Event Leadership Team. “We hope we can share a similar evening next year with even more ‘miracle survivors’.”

Guests entered the reception on a purple carpet runner, like celebrities at a gala event.

Dinner was served in a banquet sized tent that was decorated with silver and purple balloons and festive purple twinkle lights. Handmade purple, pink, and silver firecracker centerpieces exploded with tinsel and stars. These were placed in the center of a purple place mat that had been cut out to resemble the walking track complete with a sparkling word "Hope" mirroring the word written outside by the luminaria bags. The plates, napkins, table clothes and utensils carried on the purple, white and silver theme of the evening.

A sumptuous buffet of hot and cold entrees and salads was served, the majority of which had been generously donated by local restaurants and markets. Handmade desserts and coffee, again donated by supporters, finished off the menu.

Taking center stage on the dessert table was a white frosted sheet cake donated by Sugary Moon Pastry, that had a grouping of butterflies fluttering across it beginning in the color white and progressing to a deep purple, again continuing this year’s Relay For Life theme of "Color your world purple"!

Throughout the dinner the guests enjoyed intermittent live music by a keyboardist and two members of the Mansfield High School choir who sang and played guitar.

During dessert a raffle took place. Items donated were handmade gifts from the Council On Aging and the Mansfield Garden Club as well as gift certificates from several Mansfield businesses.

Guests were encouraged to linger in the tent after dinner to enjoy the warm summer evening and to enjoy the fellowship of other survivors and caregivers.

Everyone in the community is welcome to donate until Aug. 31 to this year’s Relay For Life event at www.RelayForLife.org/MansfieldMA or make checks payable to "American Cancer Society" and send them to: Attn: Relay For Life of Mansfield, 1324 Belmont St., Suite 204, Brockton, MA 02301.