With it sleeting outside all day long today, and another snow storm on its way for Thursday, it seems a little hard to accept that Relay For Life is coming up on me fast. But the event is now only slightly more than three months away, and there is still so much left to accomplish. I suppose that as a Co-Chairperson of the fundraiser this year, I am feeling a little extra pressure, but only because I want it to be a huge success. We have a pretty high standard to live up to... last year alone we had over 100 teams, over 1000 participants, 1000 Luminarias sold, over $225,000 raised... those are some impressive numbers. It's a lot to live up to.
People often ask me to explain Relay For Life to them. You see, the name of the event, while very meaningful, throws many people. Taken literally, it sounds like some kind of race. This fills a lot of people with trepidation, understandably so. Personally, I struggle to run a couple of miles these days, so the prospect of running an all-night relay race would be sufficient to keep me away. Fortunately, there is no running or racing involved in Relay For Life. The name refers to teams of people endeavoring to keep at least one member of the team walking the track at all of hours of the night. Relaying, so to speak. Nightfall represents a Cancer Survivor's diagnosis... the very moment they become a Cancer Survivor. The dark of night represents cancer, and the laps around the track are the Survivor's battle against the disease. We do not rest, keeping someone on the track all night because Cancer does not sleep. We Relay until dawn, which I'm sure you can guess represents triumph... represents remission. But nothing I can say will ever do justice to witnessing the event with your own eyes. Come check it out one time, even if for only a few hours... I guarantee you'll be back for more.
I'll never forget the first time I saw the Luminaria Ceremony, how it moved me to tears with it's solemn, respectful, silent, dignity. One thousand lights in the dark. Just paper bags, sand, and candles, and yet so much more than that. For each bag is a tribute to someone bravely fighting Cancer or someone sadly lost to Cancer... every bag a name. It's spiritual... almost holy, for lack of a better word. Come see it. You will be moved, of this I am sure.
I've been asked why I became so involved, in essence, "Why do I Relay?" Several years back I wrote the following, which has been slightly revised over the years, but more or less sums it all up:
I Relay so that my daughter Erin Margaret, and children everywhere just like her, might be able to grow up in a world where fear of cancer is a thing of the past. It can be done...think about it.... within the past 200 years, diseases and afflictions like malaria, polio, & smallpox ravaged our population...now they are virtually eradicated.
I Relay to Celebrate the strength, courage, and perseverence of Survivors like my Grandma, Grace Goetz, & my Mother-In-Law, Nancy McGlynn, as well as many other friends and relatives who have fought or are fighting the good fight, and all other Survivors like them. Their strength fills me with pride and hope. I want them to know that they are supported, and are always in my thoughts and prayers.
I Relay to Remember those friends and family who were taken by Cancer, too soon in every case, special people every single one. People like Earl Haffey, who was diagnosed and lost his fight in the space of 4 months. He was a dear friend. I Relay for Earl, and all of our friends and family like him.
I Relay to Fight Back against this disease that infects too many good people, and cuts too many lives short. As Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Please join my team and Relay with me, or make a donation to my team. You are helping deliver the hope that future generations will not have to endure cancer threatening the lives of their friends and family. Like me, you have the power to fight back against a disease that affects millions.
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