Mar 1, 2020 2 min read

PERRYOPOLIS – The Mon Valley Relay for Life event, which has traditionally been one of the American Cancer Society’s biggest area fundraisers, is moving to Frazier High School this year.

After 14 years on the Charleroi Area School District campus, the popular event will be held this year in Perryopolis after disciplinary issues with students marred last year’s event.

The relay is scheduled for May 1.

According to Frazier teacher Cindy Marr, who addressed Frazier School Board Monday, the cancer charity walk is taking a two-pronged approach this year by holding an event for students during the school day and an open community event in the evening from 4 to 8 p.m.

“Just to contain it, keep it small and more personal,” Marr said regarding the change in the structure of the event, which in the past would last for 12 consecutive hours. “It will just have a different effect than what it had at Charleroi.”

While not a school-sponsored event, Relay for Life attracts participation from teams of students from several area high schools. Marr said several Mon Valley schools have committed teams or have shown interest in participating.

Last year’s Relay for Life fundraiser at Charleroi was disrupted when eight Belle Vernon Area High School students were cited for underage drinking.

Despite the changes, Marr said the evening portion of the event will still include a luminary ceremony and survivor dinner.

In other business, the school board hired Timothy Berggren of Washington as special law counsel to conduct an “internal investigation.”

District solicitor Jeremy Davis said the hire is regarding a personnel and legal matter on which the district cannot provide further information or comment at this time.

The board voted 7-1 for Berggren’s hire, which includes a $125 hourly fee, with director Stacey Erdely casting the lone vote in opposition.