ATLANTA, May 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Now in its 11th year and having raised more than $1 million to date for cancer research, Georgia Power's Run for the Reason relay team readies for its annual trek across the state to benefit and support the American Cancer Society. This year's relay will be dedicated to the late Robert W. Scherer, former Georgia Power president and CEO who passed away from cancer earlier this year. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050216/CLW066LOGO ) The 19-member relay team will participate in a 414-mile run which begins Saturday, May 3 on St. Simons Island and ends Monday, May 5 at Georgia Power's Plant Wansley near Carrolton just east of the Alabama State line. All proceeds raised from the event will be donated to the American Cancer Society for cancer research, awareness and prevention programs. "We have been participating in this relay since 1998. It's very gratifying to see the generosity of our fellow employees, friends and corporate sponsors who each year open their hearts and wallets for this worthwhile cause," said Chris D'Andrea, Georgia Power Run for the Reason chairman. "The fight is far from over and the monies raised this year will be invaluable to the continued research for a cure." Runners will be divided into three teams with six runners each, running in relay fashion. Each participant is expected to run five 40-minute legs or 22.5 miles for an approximate total of 414 miles over three days. The runners will be supported by other employees who will follow the teams in recreational vehicles. The relay team will pass through Waycross, Tifton, Vienna, Warner Robins, Griffin, Fayetteville, Atlanta, Austell and Douglasville before passing the baton to Alabama Power runners in Carrolton. Hundreds of Georgia Power employees will be on-hand Monday, May 5 to cheer on the relay team as they pass by Georgia Power's Corporate Office. Overall, the run is expected to raise more than $100,000 for American Cancer Society chapters in Georgia. The money will come from corporate sponsorships and from donations solicited by individual runners. Here's the route and tentative arrival times as the runners travel through Georgia. Saturday May 3: 6:30 a.m. - Run starts at Georgia Power's St. Simons office building. The runners will follow Hwy. 17 on Glynn Avenue to Hwy. 82 4:00 p.m. - Arrive in Waycross and continue run through Ware, Atkinson and Berrien counties Sunday May 4: 3:00 a.m. - Arrive in Tifton. Runners will merge onto Hwy. 41 9:15 a.m. - Arrive in Cordele Monday May 5: 3:30 a.m. - Run through Griffin 6:20 a.m. - Run through Fayetteville. Runners will follow Hwys. 314, 279 and 138 then turn right on Hwy. 29 11:00 a.m. - Arrive at Georgia Power headquarters, 241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, continue run through downtown Atlanta on North Avenue, Northside Drive and Bankhead Hwy. 1:30 p.m. - Run through Austell continuing on Hwys. 61 and 166 towards Alabama state line 8:40 p.m. - Hand off baton to Alabama Power runners at Plant Wansley near the Georgia-Alabama state line. Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation's largest generators of electricity. The company is an investor-owned, tax-paying utility with rates well below the national average. Georgia Power serves 2.3 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050216/CLW066LOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Georgia Power CONTACT: Lynn Wallace of Georgia Power, +1-404-506-7676, or +1-800-282-1696, Web site: http://www.georgiapower.com/

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