Relay 2007

So much to say about Relay for Life and I'm not even sure I can find the right words to adequately state how I feel about the whole experience. 

First, I had no idea it was such a huge event.  I have never been involved with it before but now I just want to be involved more so in the future.  There were 90 teams represented on Saturday, with 1354 participants.  We raised over $252,533 for the American Cancer Association.   What I learned on Saturday is that Relay is the largest cancer fundraiser in the world, represented in 22 countries.  I had no idea just how big this thing was that I was about to be a part of.

Though the opening ceremony did not begin until noon, I arrived around 10:45 and located our tent.  Immediately, I could see the hard work and organization that my friend, Lisa, who was also our team leader had put into this.



There were tents everywhere, and every school in Berkley County was represented for the first time.  The only negative thing I can say is that it was HOT!  And HUMID!  All you needed to do was to sit still for the sweat to begin.  But it was all still amazing.

The opening ceremonies began and nearly 200 cancer survivors were represented, including Robyn (in the purple shirt with her friend, Kara, who walked for our team as well).



At the end of the opening ceremony, all the survivors were given folded up paper, each containing a butterfly, which was set free into the air.  If I'd had the good camera, I may have been able to capture it, but this was the best I could do:





The survivors then walked the first lap, setting the pace for the rest of the day.  One person from each team was to be on the track at all times, not that anyone kept track of it.  But they didn't need to.  Everyone knew what they were there to accomplish.

The team members who were not currently walking had different items for sale, with the majority if not all of the proceeds going directly to the American Cancer Society.  There was everything from jewelry to scarves, to light up jewelry for when night fell, to raffles for quilts, spa weekends, etc. 

Cancer is something that is so close to me.  My mother had it, my father died from it as did my uncle.  Robyn is surviving it.  The feeling of just being around so many people who were there for the same reason; to raise money not only for research, but to help those who have been diagnosed or who need care...there are no words to really describe.  It's such a horrible, unprejudiced disease that inspires deep terror in those who hear the word, so to be with a committed group of people in a positive light in the name of cancer was just inspiring.

During the day, they held different theme laps such as races and a frozen tee-shirt lap.  Poor Kelly did this one for our team and the shirts were made wet, tied into a knot and then placed in a freezer at the hospital.  Each participant had to get their shirt untied and on before their lap was completed.  Poor Kelly never did get the original shirt opened!  They finally gave her another one which she was finally able to peel apart!

There was also a huge memory board on the far side of the track with paper butterflies that you could fill out in memory of a loved one. 


For my dad

As evening fell, the luminaria ceremony began.  The entire track was outlined in luminary bags that had a loved one's name on it.  The bags are purchased with all proceeds going to the ACS.  There were moments of silence as the bags were lit one category at a time: for lost siblings, friends, survivors, lost family member etc.  It was incredibly moving.








Reflections



After the luminaries were all lit, they showed a movie which contained the names and/or pictures of all those who were represented by the luminaries.  I walked my last mile during the movie and at the end of the mile, the alphabetical listing was only up to the Ps. 

I left to go home around 10:00 due to Graduate Sunday being the next morning.  The walk is supposed to continue through the night until the sunrise and end with a small sunrise ceremony.  The sad part about the event is that this did not happen this year:

"Now I need to address the 500 lb gorilla in the room.  The way Relay ended last night was not how any of us could have possibly wanted it to end.  We missed the sunrise ceremony, the awarding of the Spirit Stick, Aerobics with Lisa and many other activities that the Onsite Activities Committee had worked very hard to organize and plan for everyone to participate in last night.  I am sorry you did not get a chance to play, and I am sorry the committee could not have a chance for you to see the fruits of their labor.

 

I want you all to understand what went into that decision because as Chair, the responsibility of the decision lies with one person... me.  Around 1:15am, I was informed by multiple Relayers that a belligerent neighbor was at the fence line screaming at the Relayers.  It was enough of a potential security threat that I had to ask security to move to that side of the field.  Roughly 10 minutes later, Stacy made the announcement on the PA.  A formal complaint had been logged with the police and they arrived onsite to say we had stop all PA activity and all music.  We were not given an option to lower the volume, we had to stop.  We also had a few hundred participants left at the track, so a noise level would have continued.  In addition to that, I saw that we were still operating under full field lights... we had not switched to track lighting which was going to make the event much darker.  Although still bright enough to walk, it would have been a little difficult for field activities to take place, especially with no music or PA to address the participants.  Not wanting to develop a bad relationship with local law enforcement, keeping in mind that we plan on being back at Martinsburg High School in the future and thinking about just how successful Relay had already been, after consulting with some participants, committee members and ACS staff, I made the decision to announce that you could stay if you like, but Relay 2007 had come to an end. 

 

I wanted you all to see my thought process as to why Relay was "called".  I am sorry if you do not agree with me.  To be honest, I am very disappointed that the neighbor in question could not have come to us first to ask us to turn it down.  I realize now that we were broadcasting at the same levels at 1am that we had been at 1pm and a simple request could have avoided all of this mess.  I am sorry that Diana and the rest of the Heroes who were running the concession stand had all that food left over.  I am also sorry for those participants that left but came back for the  morning service and were disappointed to find it cancelled.

Although I am sorry that Relay ended the way it did, I am not going to let the ending dictate to me how I am going to remember Relay 2007.  I am going to remember the survivor lap with all those wonderful people proudly marching along the track.  I am going to remember that team lap  where from where i was standing it looked like everyone would not fit on the track.  I am going to remember the beauty of the luminaria ceremony and the emotion that it envokes in Relay.  I am going to remember the lives that will be positively affected within and outside our community by the money we raised.  I hope you do the same."

The above was from the Co-chair of the event and summed up what happened.  It made me incredibly angry to hear it and I intend to be far more involved for Relay 2008 to help make sure that nothing like this happens again. 

But putting that aside, Relay was a wonderful experience for me and I plan to put much effort into it for next year.  Oh and from my best guesses, I walked between five and six miles on Saturday,