COMMUNITY EVENT Liberty board honors Relay for Life helpers

The Liberty event was scheduled for May 21-22.
LIBERTY -- The Liberty Board of Education dedicated a portion of its meeting to pass out accolades to township people who helped in the success of the recent Relay for Life event under trying conditions.
The community helped raise more than $118,000 in the 12-hour relay for the American Cancer Society.
Most relays are 24-hour events, but the event was cut short because of a severe thunderstorm and tornado warning that took place May 21.
Liberty school officials said the township has plenty of dedicated workers and officials who helped out in the storm's aftermath.
Carole Weimer, co-chairwoman of the Liberty Relay for Life and a special-education teacher, attended Wednesday's meeting to hand out two awards for outstanding performance during the event.
Received awards
The first award went to the township maintenance department's employees, headed by Chuck Cera.
"They worked feverishly throughout the night after the field had been evacuated of all participants to clear up the debris and devastation left by the storm, so the relay teams didn't have to witness the damaged tents and personal items," Weimer said.
The second award went to schools Superintendent Larry Prince for his ability to create a calming environment in a time of chaos.
"He handled the emergency evacuation of nearly 600 individuals for several hours during the storm," Weimer said. "His calm leadership helped keep everyone safe in a situation where there were no lights ... and people were scared."
With Prince on hand to assist in the crisis, no one was hurt and the crowd stayed manageable, Weimer added.
The maintenance crews also worked throughout the night, clearing the rubbish from the Liberty track and making sure everything was ready to start the relay again May 22, she said.