Relay’s 4th annual ‘costume party’ brings fun for a cause

By Rick Kennedy, managing editor
Four years running now coming this Friday night, Hempstead Hall will again transform into a Halloween House of Fun as Hempstead Relay for Life brings its annual “Celebrity Waiter” dress-up dinner with this year’s theme celebrating “Broadway Musicals.”
“Celebrity Waiter” coordinator Racheal Cuellar said Tuesday afternoon in front of Friday’s event, “It is still basically the same event, and last year, we raised just over $12,000 in three hours. It has become an amazing event for the community to raise money and have fun. We invite everyone to come out and enjoy this event for an awesome cause.”
As in past years, there will again be various Relay team tables, each with its own Broadway Musical theme, and the tables will be manned by the local “Celebrity Waiters” in costume.
As this report was prepared for Tuesday afternoon, the teams, themes and waiters already lined up for Friday’s keynote event include:
• CPS (Phantom of the Opera) with Mary Storey and Pam Lewallen
• Blonde Ambition & Tailgaters (Hocus Pocus) with Brittany Lewis, Brooke Moten, Sharon Caldwell and Summer Powell
• Lazy W (Cats) with Alejandra Mendoza, Kaye and Maye Cheatham
• Purtle Construction (Wicked) with Cyndie McMahen and Jessica Caraway
• Southern Bakeries (Shrek The Musical) with Marshall Tullos and Gayla McCoy
• Heather Manor (Damn Yankees) with Clay Black and Tyrone Lacy
• Stage (Harry Potter) with Ross Norman
• Arkansas CAMA Technology (Grease) with Cindy Martin
• Farmers Bank & Trust (Beetle Juice) with Karsyn Powell
• UAHT (Devil Wears Prada) with Jannie Moten, Allen Flowers and Terra Newsom
There will also be a section of “Survivor Tables,” which are sponsored by CPS, Blonde Ambition & Tailgaters, Lazy W, Southern Bakeries, UAHT, and New Millennium.
There will again be a live band and DJ scheduled, and food will be catered by Sheba’s, Cuellar said Tuesday in front of Friday’s event.
Cuellar also said each table will accommodate eight people with tickets being a $25 donation per person, and she said teams can have more than one table. And businesses can sponsor seats and tables for the employees or guests.
Also, as before, Cuellar said that awards will be given out for several divisions including theme, decorations, costume, celebrity waiter with the most tips, and best dressed celebrity waiter.