Let the chaos begin.....

Well, I'm well into Relay For Life event season and to call it a busy season would be an understatement. For those of you who don't know what Relay For Life is, here's a quick synopsis:

Relay is an overnight event (yes, I said overnight) for the American Cancer Society that celebrates cancer survivors, remembers loved ones we've lost, and fights back against cancer. I got involved almost nine years ago when my mother passed away, and it's been in my blood ever since. The idea of Relay is to recruit teams, approximately 8-15 people of friends and family, raise money through fundraisers or good ole-fashioned letter writing, and then come out the actual Relay event to celebrate all of your hard work! And by hard work, I really mean it. Relay was started in 1985 and has since become the world's (yes WORLD) largest fundraiser raising over $4 billion to date. The incredible thing about this event is that it is completely volunteer-driven. The volunteers do have the support of ACS staff (which is my current position) but each event is unique to their community because it is put on by those volunteers, not by staff.

The reason Relay is overnight is because 'cancer doesn't sleep, so for one night, neither will we'. One of my favorite stories is the comparison to the nightfall and the cancer journey. As the team members are walking in the 3 or 4am hours, their bodies are getting tired and they don't want to go on, just as a cancer patient feels in the middle of their treatments. Then, the sun rises and everyone knows the end of the event is nearing, just as the cancer patient's treatment is ending and they are coming through on the other end.

At the event, each team camps out around the track and tries to have one representative from their team on the track at all times. The first lap of the night is just for cancer survivors. It's a very inspiring time when everyone else spreads out around the track, cheering on their family and friends who are survivors, and giving hope to others.

After the sun sets, there's a luminaria ceremony. During this, all of the lights get turned out and their are luminarias that are lining the track (which people have purchased throughout the night) to honor loved ones and in memory of those lost. This is probably everyone's favorite part of the night and can be very emotional.

Through my years of Relay, I've definitely met some amazing people who have such awesome stories of inspiration. Especially now, being on the staff side of ACS, I feel so incredibly lucky to meet such great volunteers who are as committed to the fight against cancer as I know I am. Knowing that so many people want to bring an end to this disease and seeing so many people putting aside their difference for one night, is something you can't explain. If you've never been to a Relay For Life before, you definitely need to do it. I'm not saying you need to get a team together you're first time out. Just search for the event in your community and spend an hour or two out there (don't forget to take some cash for the awesome fundraisers they'll be doing!) and you'll be hooked. Guaranteed.