For the first time, there was 100 percent participation by Jefferson County Schools in the county’s Relay for Life to help battle cancer and find a cure.

Superintendent Bondy Shay Gibson expressed her appreciation to each of the schools on Saturday.

“Every single school has raised money this year for Relay,” she said.

Many of the schools held fundraisers during the months leading up to Relay. Debra Corbett, principal at Ranson Elementary, said that they held a flower sale and a blue jean day where teachers could pay to wear blue jeans among others.

Corbett shared that her school has done Relay for years although the had participated in Shepherd’s Relay event and came back to Jefferson this year.

“My two best girlfriends are cancer survivors,” she shared. “So this is very close to my heart.”

Charles Town Middle School participated for the first time this year and came in with a goal of raising $1,000.

“We have reached $1,400,” said Storm Shiley-Frame. Their team, ‘Panthers Against Cancer’ raised funds by holding a dance, having an event to throw water balloons at teachers and selling salads to staffers every Friday.

Shepherdstown Elementary School was also a first timer at Jefferson’s Relay for Life. They had previously participated at Shepherd but the timing this year worked better for them to participate at Jefferson, said Annette Jamison, the team’s captain.

With a goal of $1,000, Jamison was excited to report Saturday afternoon that the team had already doubled that goal.

“We had a pie in the face event where, for $1, you could hit a teacher in the face,” Jamsion explained.

“We also had ‘Hands for a Cure’ where students put their handprints on a tablecloth and we then raffled that off. We held several other raffles,” Jamison continued.

Relay coordiantor Chanti Davenport was thrilled with the participation of the schools. She explained that the complete buy-in by the school system helped bring thousands of dollars into the funds to help fight cancer. They helped move the overall goal of $110,000 much near to completion.