MINERAL COUNTY – The Mineral County Relay for Life event was recently recognized as one of the most successful in the entire western part of the state of Montana in terms of per capita earnings.

During the annual Relay for Life Summit, the Mineral County Relay for Life received an award for highest earnings per capita compared to other events in Kalispell and even Missoula. And while the event may have been the smallest in the region, Mineral County Relay for Life Publicity/Advocacy Chair Peggy Temple said community involvement made up for what the event may lack in size.

“We have a lot of people who really put a lot into it,” Temple said. “They call us the little relay that could. Out of all Montana, we are one of the smallest relays. We have a generous community and a lot of passionate people here. I love being a part of it. It’s a real sense of accomplishment.”

Temple also said the next Relay for Life would be a little different from previous years. She said, while the original event included a 12 hour relay, next year’s relay would be somewhat shorter to accommodate smaller teams.

“It’s difficult when you don’t have a huge population to keep it going all night,” Temple said. “People give a lot of support but spending that much time is tough. So next year, one of the options is to do a six-hour relay. Hopefully that way more people will be able to participate and we will be able to keep the excitement going. We will still have a nighttime component with the luminarias.”