Relay for Life

My family and I recently participated in our first Relay for Life, an event about which I'd had very limited knowledge. I knew it was held to raise money for the American Cancer Society as we'd previously sponsored friends and family when they'd participated. Relay for Life has an interesting history, as I've come to know, and I wanted to share a little of it with you, along with photos and commentary regarding my own experience.

"Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. While it originated in the United States, the Relay For Life event is currently held in 21 countries worldwide. Although the main objective of Relay is to raise money for cancer research and cancer patients, the event is held to spread cancer awareness, celebrate the lives of survivors, remember those who lost their lives to cancer, and unite a community in the fight against cancer." ~ Wikipedia

"In the mid-1980s, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma colorectal surgeon, wanted to enhance the income of his local American Cancer Society office. He decided to personally raise money for the fight by doing something he enjoyed—running marathons.

In May 1985, Dr. Klatt spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma for more than 83 miles. Throughout the night, friends paid $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him. He raised $27,000 to fight cancer. That first year, nearly 300 of Dr. Klatt's friends, family, and patients watched as he ran and walked the course.

...Months later he pulled together a small committee to plan the first team relay event known as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer. In 1986, 19 teams took part in the first team relay event on the track at the colorful, historical Stadium Bowl and raised $33,000. An indescribable spirit prevailed at the track and in the tents that dotted the infield." ~ American Cancer Society

There's your Relay for Life history lesson for the day. That might have been more than you ever really wanted to know about Relay for Life, but I'm all about learning something new every day, and of course, what's the point in learning about new stuff if you can't share it with someone else, right?

Our little military base here at Naval Station Rota in Spain held its second annual Relay for Life event just a little over a week ago and we were there. I got recruited to join a team of friends with whom I rubber stamp and scrapbook, and in turn, I recruited my family. Since we'd joined the team late in the game, there wasn't a lot of time to raise funds. We sent out emails via the American Cancer Society website asking for donations, and we participated in a team bake sale fundraiser.

I guess I should explain why I even considered participating in Relay for Life from the get-go. Cancer is very prevalent in my family. All three of my now-deceased grandparents had cancer, two of their deaths a direct result of the disease. Two uncles passed away from cancer-related reasons. My dad also lost his battle with cancer just two and a half years ago. There are many more family members and friends who have fought cancer, some winners against this terrible disease, and others who weren't so fortunate.

Here are a few snapshots of Relay for Life 2009 at Naval Station Rota, Spain... The event started with a lap walked by cancer survivors.


The name of our team was "Mary's Benevolent Crew II" and this was the site where we sold slices of pie the night of the event. The theme of Relay for Life was "Happy Birthday," thus the fiesta decor you see here.


My hubby and youngest son put up our tent. Yes, we camped out! The boys slept a little, my hubby got maybe an hour's worth of shut-eye, but I got no sleep. It was a bit noisy for me, even with earplugs. Sleep wound definitely come much later though.


Once it got dark outside, there was a special luminaria ceremony to remember loved ones whose lives were lost due to cancer. These are the luminarias we decorated and lit in remembrance of our family members.


Photos of loved ones were attached to some luminarias, while there were displays of artwork on others. I wrote words that described our loved ones on each luminaria.


My oldest son helped his Boy Scout troop light the luminarias, which lined the center of the track.


Each team represented a different type of cancer, and ours was liver cancer. Here's our informative poster, created by yours truly with a lot of help from the American Cancer Society.


For 12 hours teams walked around the track. A member of each team had to be on the track at all times, therefore our team took turns, one or two people walking for 30 minutes until being relieved. Here's my hubby taking his turn. One guy, a marine no less, walked the entire time, never taking a rest.


Banners and signs such as this one were posted all around the track.





I really liked this banner using handprints to spell out "Relay for Life" and depicting the bull's head inside the ribbon... very Spanish!


There were lots of competitive events going on throughout the night... a best-looking cake contest followed by a cake walk, most team spirit, a one-mile race, etc. My hubby and I represented our team in the Amazing Race and came in second. Here one of our male team members dressed up as a woman and represented our team in "Mr. Relay." Participants walked around the track with a purse collecting donations and the "woman" with the most money at the end won.


Our team entered a hovercraft in the "Race for Cure." Each team had to make a vehicle of some kind in which to race one lap around the track, all the while holding an egg on a spoon. The first team to the finish line without dropping the egg won.


It was cold enough to don winter coats and sit by the fire pit, which is exactly what M did.


Our team sold breakfast burritos at around 5am. The lady in the purple jacket was our team leader.


These folks are our neighbors, and the woman has actually organized Relay for Life here at Rota for the last two years, something she feels very strongly about as she and her husband lost their son to cancer a few years ago. Their involvement in this event has been inspirational for many people.

The thing is, cancer has touched us all in one way or another and I felt the need to do something positive in response. I wanted to do something that would be meaningful and possibly make a difference in someone's life. Relay for Life provided me the opportunity to do just that and I feel blessed to have been a participant.