Sheriffs challenge each other at fundraising event Morgan Elmore of Chiefland dresses as Cinderella at the Relay For Life event on Friday. She is part of the Haven Hospice Team. People could have their picture taken with her for free. This team also sold tee-shirts and other items to raise money to help fight cancer. Story and Photos By Jeff M. Hardison May 15, 2016 @ 3:07 p.m. FANNING SPRINGS -- The high sheriffs of Levy and Gilchrist counties "talked smack" a little bit Friday night (May 13) when they each puffed their feathers a tad; however it was all in good fun and it was during an excellent fundraising event.
"The Two Bobbys" were in rare form. These two professional law enforcement officers are not to be confused with their London counterparts who became known as "bobbies" because the London police force was created in 1829 by an act introduced in Parliament by the home secretary Sir Robert Peel (hence the nicknames bobbies and peelers for policemen). People who know the two sheriffs in Levy and Gilchrist counties understand the mild and good-natured tone of them challenging each other to a duel in fundraising for the war against cancer. Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz III (left and Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum Jr., Levy County Sheriff Robert "Bobby" McCallum Jr., a past president of the Levy County Chapter of the American Cancer Society, and Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert "Bobby" Schultz III dared each other to see whose team would raise the most money for the Relay For Life of the Tri-Counties (Levy, Dixie and Gilchrist counties). These two sheriffs -- at the most -- only figuratively threw down their gauntlets as they taunted one another. Really their singular sentence-jousting was just part of the six hours of fun and walking along an oval path during the night. "I think the Levy County Sheriff's Office is going to win," Sheriff McCallum said. "I think when he wakes up," Sheriff Schultz replied, "we'll see we (the GCSO) won." Both sheriffs were among the many people and organizations participating Friday from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Suwannee River Fair Youth Livestock Pavilion in Fanning Springs.
This annual Relay For Life event there and then has been in various places over the past 10 years, including at the track for Chiefland Elementary School and at the huge pole barn in Gilchrist County between Bell and Trenton on U.S. Highway 129. The Relay For Life participants now are part of a movement that includes more than four million people in excess of 20 countries who raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer. The Williston Relay For Life event was April 16 and 17. There was also a recent golf tournament in Chiefland to raise money for families of local children stricken by cancer. As for the event in the Levy County part of Fanning Springs on Friday night, the indoor pavilion was jam-packed with tents. While this venue had considerably less square feet of space than the most recent site for it in Gilchrist County, it is indoors and climate controlled. A good time was had by all. Cross City Rehabilitation Team (from left) Michael Zavalick, April Barber and Karen Evans man their tent during the Relay For Life.
Among the Gilchrist County Schools Team members are (from left) Leigh Hartzog, Ronda Parrish, Gilchrist County Superintendent of Schools Rob Rankin, Lisa Rowland and Kelly Myers. Gilchrist County Judge Sheree Lancaster and Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz are supporters of the Relay For Life of the Tri-Counties.
Some of the Haven Hospice Team at the Relay For Life Event are (from left) Morgan Elmore, Jessica Fink and Brianne Megargel. Bell Middle School 6th grade reading teacher Evi Wright has captured an excellent The Mad Hatter look.