Ruthie Garner.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — On Friday, April 26, participants will gather for the annual Relay For Life event to benefit the American Cancer Society. The event will be from 6-10 p.m. at the Colquitt County Ag Complex. That same morning, cancer survivors will be honored at a breakfast at the First United Methodist Social Hall at 7 a.m. This year’s speaker will be cancer survivor, Ruthie Garner.

For thirty years Ruthie Garner has been a household name and fixture throughout Southwest Georgia and North Florida as a news anchor and producer at WALB-TV.

Garner was voted as one of America’s most outstanding women in 2008 and was awarded the “Gabby Award” from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters for “Best on Air Personality” for 2005 and was a nominee in 2006.

Her job was interviewing guests and delivering the news to viewers, but her passion has always been singing and her music. Garner has performed with such personalities as Bob Hope, Minnie Pearl, Marie Osmond, Amy Grant and Mickey Mouse — performing at Walt Disney World several times — as well as Six Flags Over Georgia and Opryland.  She was a member of the Anita Bryant Singers, performing in churches, convention centers, colleges, as well as command performances for the United States military, which she continues to do today around the country.

Garner has served on boards with the American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes and the Georgia State Coalition of Children with former Georgia First Lady Mary Perdue,  She also served as the honorary chairwoman for the Children’s Miracle Network for several years.

Garner. who was born and raised in the Golden Isles of Georgia, makes no bones about being a “beach girl” and gets back home to the islands as much as possible.

She is married to Dr. Michael Garner and they have one son, Stephen.  She and her family are active members of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany. Garner spends her time now sharing her story of being a cancer survivor, as well as the story of her husband Mike and son Stephen being cancer survivors as well.  

For further information, call Donna Duncan at 891-7695.