Fifteen Alabama Power employees will help fight cancer by running from Tallapoosa, Ga., to Dauphin Island as part of the 750-mile "Run for the Reason" Relay to benefit the American Cancer Society.

The relay is a joint initiative of Georgia Power and Alabama Power, both subsidiaries of Atlanta-based Southern Company . The relay begins Saturday, April 26, in St. Simons Island on the Georgia coast.

Runners from Georgia Power will hand the baton to Alabama Power runners on April 28 near the Alabama-Georgia line in Tallapoosa, Ga. The Alabama Power runners are expected to pass through Talladega and Selma on Tuesday, April 29, before turning south toward Mobile. The runners are expected to arrive at Dauphin Island on the Gulf coast the morning of May 1.

The Alabama runners will be divided into three teams, running in relay fashion. Each participant is expected to run four or five legs, totaling about 20 miles over the course of the event. The runners will be supported by other employees who will follow the three teams in recreational vehicles.

"Our efforts are all to raise money to be used for research for the American Cancer Society," said Southern Company Services employee Stuart Pierce, coordinator of the Alabama portion of the relay and one of the runners.

The six-day run is expected to raise more than $160,000 for the cancer society in Georgia and Alabama. The money will come from corporate sponsorships and from donations solicited by individual runners. All the money raised in Alabama will go toward cancer society efforts within the state.

Following is the schedule of tentative arrival times as the runners cross Alabama:

Monday, April 28:

11:30 p.m. -- Alabama Power runners will meet Georgia runners at the Alabama-Georgia state line in Tallapoosa, Ga. and head west on U.S. 78 toward Heflin.

Tuesday, April 29:

3:30 a.m. -- Runners will reach outskirts of Heflin and travel through Oxford, then south on U.S. 21 towards Talladega.

7:30 a.m. -- Runners will arrive in Talladega and turn right on Desoto Caverns Parkway toward Childersburg; once in Childersburg, runners will head west on U.S. 280, west on U.S. 76, and south on U.S. 25 toward Columbiana.

3:30 p.m. -- Runners will arrive in Columbiana, travel through Calera, Montevallo and Wilton before turning south on U.S. 139 toward Maplesville; runners will then head west on U.S. 22 toward Selma; runners are expected to arrive in Selma around 11:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 30:

Runners will travel south on U.S. 22/5 and are expected to reach Orrville at 3:30 a.m., Safford at 7:30 a.m. and Pine Hill at 11:30 a.m.

Noon -- Runners will travel south on U.S. 43 and are expected to reach Grove Hill at 3:30 p.m., McIntosh at 7:30 p.m., and Creola at 11:30 p.m.

  Thursday, May 1:
  Runners travel south on U.S. 43 toward Dauphin Island

5 a.m.-- Runners will arrive at Alabama Power office in downtown Mobile and head toward Tillmans Corner on Highway 90, then turn south toward Dauphin Island on Highway 193.

7:30 a.m. -- Runners will arrive at Dauphin Island. The relay ends at the public beach near Dauphin Island Elementary School.

Because of weather and other factors, arrival times may change. To find out the precise location of the Alabama Power runners at any time during the run, please call Melanie Camp at 877-328-8147.

Alabama Power's 6,700 employees are dedicated to providing reliable, affordable electricity to more than 1.3 million customers across the state. Among other charitable contributions, Alabama Power employees and retirees give more than 60,000 hours and more than $1.1 million annually to community projects through the company's volunteer service organizations.

SOURCE: Alabama Power Company