Relay for Life Update

24 Hours that really seemed to fly by.... except for the short time when some of us tried tried to power nap in the chairs and froze our tootsies off, but other than that it was a very positive and sometimes emotional time. Friends getting together. Shirley Mewharter and her daughter Star Mosely. Note the colors of the shirts. "Survivors" of cancer wore purple shirts, attendees white and light blue for those who have spent a year in planning and preparations for the event.

The event was held at Woolsey Stadium, Kings High school in Shoreline, and was begun with opening ceremonies and finally the Survivors led the others in the first lap around the track.

Games.... This is one that I actually lent a hand in. It was the Frozen T-shirt contest. Each team had to thaw out t-shirt that was very solidly frozen in a block of ice and then someone had to put it on. At first it looked more like "eat the t-shirt" while some chewed and tried to rip it open. Then everyone lent a warm hand or leg to rub the block of ice on.

Then it became "tug of war" as we tried to pull it apart.

Even though we finished in 4th place, we did get it unrolled and on our waiting model to the right in the dark blue shirt (not pictured in the frozen shirt)

More games... They had 10 minutes to decorate their "cars" and racing suits and head to the starting line.

There was also entertainment by beautiful Tahitian dancers and more games.

The evening highlight was the luminaria, which I don't have pictures of, but was very fitting and emotional at times as hundreds of candles were lit for loved ones who have died and some who are still fighting this incideous disease. The luminarias were placed alongside the track after dark, all lights were extinquished and a bagpiper led the way for a solemn walk around the track. Dave was able to come and light a candle for his Mom who passed last October from bladder cancer, and I lit a candle for my Mom who died from leukemia in 2003. The bags were lovingly decorated by family and loved ones and some just stood or sat on the ground by their luminaries. I thought about my own dear Mother as she shared her thought process as she was dying and wondered if she would be remembered by anyone after she was gone and I made an attempt throughout the night to walk the track and read every name on each bag. Moms, Dads, children, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, grandparents, neighbors, teachers, co-workers, friends. This disease knows no boundaries. It doesn't matter how much money you have, what race you are, how old you are, how short or tall, or how many people that are going to grieve your absense. I'm not a doctor or a scientist and I'll never be able to come up with a cure, but maybe I can have a small impact by raising money for research for detection and cures for all types of cancer.