Relay for Hope, Relay for Life
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in your soul that sings the tune without words and never stops at all.”
~Emily Dickinson
In May of 1985, Dr. Gordy Klatt took it upon himself to make a difference in the world by running and walking for 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Friends and family paid $25.00 to walk or run for 30 minutes with Dr. Klatt…after 24 hours and 83 miles later he raised over $27,000.00 dollars to help fight cancer that day and the concept of Relay For Life was born. Today, Relay For life raises over five billion dollars each year to help fight cancer, that’s $5,000,000,000.00 and counting! As many of you know, cancer is a major health issue in this country as well as around the world and it has stretched out its ugly, gnarled hand to touch us all in some way or another and it is our duty to stand up and fight back. Relay For Life has grown to become one of the largest fundraisers to fight against cancer ever and it all started with one man who had a vision of a world without cancer.
What is Relay For Life? The American Cancer Society explains it like this, “Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.” While every event has its own unique characteristics, there are several traditions that take place at each event. There is the Survivors Lap Ceremony that starts the event in order to celebrate those who have fought cancer and live to share their stories. When the evening comes and darkness settles on the event, there is the lighting of the luminaries in the Luminaria Ceremony to remember those who have passed from or who have been touched by cancer. Finally there is the Fight Back Ceremony where people make a personal commitment to save lives by taking up the fight against cancer in personal ways like making better health and lifestyle changes or working to promote other ways in which to fight against the disease.
Why Relay? Each of us has our own story and our own unique reason to join in this fight against cancer, we all have our own story to tell and to share. Relay is more than just a fundraiser, it is fellowship with our family, friends, neighbors and community. When we come together it offers a chance for healing from the grief filled emotional scars and the physical scars left by cancer as we all have a chance to cry and laugh together. As I get older I feel the loss brought on by cancer more and more every year, every month and every week. As the late Stuart Scott said, “So live. Fight like hell, and when you get too tired to fight, lay down and rest and let someone else fight for you.” We must be the ones who will take up the fight for our family and friends when they grow too wary to fight for themselves, we must take up that mantel and carry on till the fight is won.
Please visit the Relay For Life website and find out what events are going on near you and see how you can make a difference. www.relayforlife.org As always thanks for reading and as we head into July I am planning a promotion to help promote the readership of this blog so please read Friday’s blog for the promotion details. Have a great week, take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com