One in every two people will be diagnosed with cancer. One in every four people will die from cancer. That’s a mom, a dad, an aunt, an uncle, a sister, a brother, or a friend that will die because of a disease that still doesn’t have a cure.
The American Cancer Society was created in 1913 and since then has had time to help those that have been affected by the disease by giving rides to those who need treatments, delivering dinner to those who can’t make it themselves, and paying for treatments to those who can’t afford it. Unlike many other organizations, they do not dedicate themselves to one type of cancer, they help treat them all.
One of their main ways of fighting back against this deadly disease is a fundraiser called Relay For Life. Relay For Life is a twenty-four hour community walk around Granite Oaks Middle School’s track. Participants set up a fundraiser at the track, and camp out overnight with team members taking turns walking around the track all day and all night. Many teams are big enough to have walking shifts, when a couple team members walk for a certain amount of time, then switch with other team members.
“I raise money by going door to door, and by sending out mass emails to friends and family asking them to donate,” Lauren Wilson, a participant in the event, said.
The event had many activities. A live DJ is present all night, a dance teacher came and taught line dancing, karaoke time started right as the sun set, and there were many themed walks around the track. It provided entertainment for those who were walking or simply just relaxing and waiting for the next walking shift. One themed lap was called the Survivor Lap, where the survivors took a full lap around the track to celebrate the victory of overcoming the disease, or the Luminaria ceremony.
The Luminaria ceremony is a lap around the track to honor those who have lost the battle and to honor those who have survived. People at the event can purchase a white paper bag that they can decorate and dedicate to whoever they choose. These bags get filled with sand and a candle is put inside. Volunteers from the event went around and started lighting the candles, suddenly the track was lit by hundreds of glowing white paper bags.
“The luminaria ceremony was my favorite part of Relay because the music video they played took me back to when I was diagnosed and all the surgeries and knowing how much it impacted my family,” breast cancer survivor Wendy Shadowens said.
Everyone was called to the main stage where there was a speech about honoring, remembering, and fighting back to the disease that has affected so many people. Martina McBride’s hit “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” came blasting through the speakers, accompanied by a video that has survivors talking about their experiences and all the support they got through their fight. The event coordinator then asked everyone to silently take a lap and remember those who have not made it.
Many enjoy Relay For Life because it is not just about the patients, or the survivors. The Relay focuses on the support system and caregivers of the people that are going through the fight.
“[Relay] has a strong commitment to the caregivers, it includes them and makes them feel like heros,” Shadowens said.
People often return to do Relay For Life year after year for the experience, physically, emotionally, and to feel the love that is created and shared by all.
“I have participated in Relay for 7 or 8 years, I feel like people need to be more aware of how serious cancer is. Relay made me realize how lucky I am in life,” Wilson said.
After a breakfast made by local Boy Scouts, all participants gathered to make a promise to come together again in a year, and to continue the fight against cancer. The last words were chanted for all to hear, “Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back!”
by SYDNEY ZACHARIAS
