Why I ‘Relay’

Dear editor:
Why do I “Relay?” Why do I spend months planning to “Relay?”

I could tell you that I “Relay” because my father-in-law died of prostate cancer, and I am hoping for better testing and treatments if my husband is diagnosed. I could tell you that I “Relay” because my best friend lost her mother.
I could tell you that I “Relay” because working at a funeral home, I see the devastating effect this disease has on so many families.
I do tell those stories, but that is not the whole story.
I “Relay” because it is fun. I started “Relaying” as a palliative care volunteer and I kept “Relaying” because it was a fantastic time. Seeing the teams in costumes and the sites decorated, visiting with family and friends around a fire, sharing stories and food (wow, I could write a whole page about “Relay” food).
The lighting of the luminaries moves me every year. I love to walk the track and think of family, friends, and acquaintances—not just those affected by cancer but everyone.
I love making a newspaper outfit for the 2 a.m. fashion show; I love watching the kids run from site to site looking for things on the scavenger hunt.
Most of all, I “Relay” because I love seeing our little ones, our elders, and everyone in between come together in a way I don’t see anywhere else.
I would like to invite to public out on June 15 to join us. If you are a cancer survivor, call Nicole Schatull at 274-3369 to register for our dinner at Boston Pizza, as well as the “Survivors’ Lap.”
If you are interested in joining this year’s “Relay for Life,” either with a team or simply have a couple of hours to volunteer, call me at 270-4972.
(Signed),
Jennifer Anderson
Co-chair, 2012
“Relay for Life”