Relay For Life is one of the most
awe-inspiring events I've experienced, and I was glowing with pride
for Binghamton University last Friday night when we held our own
Relay. Of course, I cried, but that's not saying much because I cry
at commercials. But when Nicole, a student with firsthand experience
as a caregiver and as someone who has lost loved ones to cancer, took
the stage I was not the only one crying.
Relay is the main volunteer driven
cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. I did not
realize the enormity of Relay until last Friday night, when the
speakers at the event pointed out that some 1 in 6 people will
participate in a Relay event. No matter what, no matter who you are,
we are all somehow affected by cancer, either indirectly or directly.
The effects of cancer permeate throughout society, and without events
like Relay, individuals and families dealing with cancer would be
unheard. According to their website, Relay now takes place in 21
other countries around the world. I was proud to partake in this
event with such a great cause and movement. I was surprised to see so
many clubs and organizations participating there. Two of the
organizations that I am a part of tabled at Relay, the Binghamton
University Scholars and Peace Action. Scholars made some awesome
stress balls out of balloons and lentils and Peace Action sold our
beautiful crayon art to raise donations.
Do not be mistaken: Relay is not
solely dedicated to making you cry your eyes out. If anything, Relay
is more of a memorial/support walk, as participants celebrate the
lives of survivors, remember those they've lost to cancer, and united
as a community against cancer. I definitely witnessed that sense of
community Friday night. During the lumineria ceremony, there was a
slideshow dedicated to those lost to cancer and those battling
cancer. As a community, we then walked around the track in unison, as
beautiful candles spelled out “HOPE” on the bleachers and
illuminated the gym.
Also, as a side note, Shriman took on
his alternate personality in the Miss Relay Competition, Shriwoman,
and she looked beautiful! Shriwoman raised $15 dollars by walking
around the track. If anyone wants to see the pictures, our team has
plenty!
At the end of the night, our team raised $1,399. I wonder what the total amount raised ended up being!
Hi Gabi,
ReplyDeleteRelay For Life is always sad for me, but not just because of the people sharing their experiences or because of the candlelight ceremonies. As I may have said before, my grandfather (dad’s dad) was a smoker for a long part of his life. Eventually, he developed lung cancer and passed away when my dad was about the same age as I am now. So I never got to meet him. And I never actually asked my dad how he dealt with it, but I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be, especially since our family has always been close. And because of all that, I made a vow never to smoke, whether it was cigarettes or even something “harmless” like marijuana. Things like Relay are comforting, but my favorite memory that relates to this actually happened last year on the anniversary of his passing. My dad had told me it was that day, and I was just doing homework listening to Pandora when the song “Tears in Heaven,” by Eric Clapton came up. If you don’t know that song, you should go listen to it now because it’s very sad but beautiful. I told my dad this and he said that even he started to get emotional, which is a very rare thing.
But I also had some funny memories from this time around, which did include wearing a bra and going around saying “Cop a feel for one dollar!” and similar phrases. That was definitely something new for me, but I raised $8, so I guess it was worth it. I look forward to seeing everyone at Relay next year though!
Gabi!
ReplyDeleteI loved this post just because I am an avid supporter of Relay For Life. I know myself and my friends including you Gabi were there for a long time! This event teaches us that these diseases affect everyone. I have numerous family members and family friends who have battled cancer, and some of them have lost. But this only means that we become stronger and never lose hope. Just sitting at the Luminaria Ceremony seeing my picture come up on the screen describing how things would be different in a world without cancer brought me to tears. Surprisingly, just taking the silent lap and seeing everyone remembering someone who battled cancer inspired hope in me and showed me that it will always be worth the fight. I want to say I am grateful for everything I have, and for all the people who have supported me and my campaign to raise money for this cause.
Despite all of the emotions that were running through me, I managed to have a wonderful time at the event! I tabled for the BU Scholars making stress balls, then walked around in just a bra collecting a few dollars in donations. My main event came at 1:30 am where as Gabi described, I dressed up as Shri-woman wearing Samantha's dress and showed off my moves on stage. In just these ten minutes, I personally raised $15! This really showed me that people do care, and that everyone believes in this cause and everyone is willing to fight for this cause.
Hey Gabi! I love this post. I was there with you at really and CAN attest to your crying (even though I was balling just as hard). I had actually never been a part of the Relay for Life event in high school, even though many of my friends had participated. The lumineria ceremony was absolutely breathtaking. What really took me was seeing how many people are effected by cancer. At the beginning of the ceremony, they had everyone stand up. They then said, "Sit down if you know someone who has had cancer" and nearly the entire room sat, with the exception of only a few people. Cancer touches so many lives and I think this is something that we overlook. When people are experiences a crisis in their family, they often feel like they are alone in the world, but events like Relay for Life allow individuals to see that others know what they are going through. They can find comfort in their friends and family because they are not alone. For those with cancer, events like Relay are also events of support. It shows them how many people believe in them and want them to be better. They have hundreds of people in one place sending them good wishes and all the strength in the world. Relay and events like it raise millions of dollars for cancer research every year. This investment is paving the way toward more effective treatments for cancer and hopefully one day a cure. I really hope that Binghamton continues this tradition of support and awareness. This was an extremely fulfilling and amazing experience and I look forward to attending next year.
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