Written by Whitley Kilcrease

Supporters of the American Cancer Society had a “boiling good time” Thursday at The Studio during a Relay for Life low-country shrimp boil.

According to Relay team member Sharla Davenport, the event was one of three smaller quarterly events to supplement the main event Relay for Life hosts each year. This is the first time the group has hosted a shrimp boil.

More than 130 tickets were pre-sold for the event at $25 per ticket. Along with ticket sales, there were also smaller fund-raisers at the boil. These included a silent auction and dollar drop, where patrons donate $1 with their name on it and win a prize if his or her bill is drawn out of a hat.

The silent auction featured about 10 items crafted and donated by team members, including make-up kits, wine baskets and a beach chair and umbrella.

Lisa Linton, team member, said it was too early to know the total amount of money raised, but she predicted more than $2,000 had been collected.

“We want to thank everyone for coming out,” Davenport said. “We expected to sell 75 tickets and ended up selling more than 120. We are very appreciative for all of the support.”

The event had backing from local businesses, with Horn Beverages on Industrial Boulevard contributing several items and Pete’s Package Store Inc. donating products for door prizes.

Cane Meredith donated his time and talent to provide entertainment for the event while Raymond Sexton was responsible for cooking the cuisine.

“We appreciated all of the support from the community,” Linton said.

“We always have a good turnout at our events. It’s community involvement that makes our efforts a success.”

Davenport said ACS and Pike County Relay for Life were planning another small event in the fall called “Swine and Dine.” She said this event would be a barbecue held during a weekend when Troy was not playing at home.

“It’s pretty much just a barbecue,” Davenport said. “We’ll be watching football and might have another auction. We want to do this event outside, though, so we’re waiting for cooler weather.”

For more information about ACS, Relay for Life or upcoming events, contact Liz McGrath at 770-1652 or visit online at acs.org.