THE SURVIVOR LAP during the 2014 Relay For Life. Community members will gather again overnight Friday at Brunswick High School’s athletic track to fight cancer and celebrate the strides made to someday end cancer for good.
It may seem like a crazy idea to converge at the Brunswick High School athletic track in May to relay all night, but the annual Relay For Life event that kicks off tonight is the American Cancer Society’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
Tonight and Saturday, teams of local community members will come together at the Relay For Life of Brunswick to help finish the fight against cancer. The event will take place from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday at athletic track.
Each team has at least one participant on the track at all times and participates in fundraising in the months leading up to the event. Symbolizing the battle waged around the clock by those facing cancer, the event can last from 12-18 hours and empowers communities to take a stand against cancer.
Relay For Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one day cancer will be eliminated. The event gives everyone in the community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer.
The now worldwide event illustrates that just one person can make a difference. This year’s theme for Relay is “30 Years Strong,” recognizing that the event started three decades ago in Tacoma, Washington when a colorectal surgeon wanted to do something to enhance the income of his local ACS office and to show support for all of his patients who had battled cancer.
A marathon runner, Dr. Gordy Klatt decided to personally raise money and circled the track at Baker Stadium for 24 hours, running and walking more than 83 miles. Friends donated $25 through the night to run or walk with him for 30 minutes.
His vision for a 24-hour relay team became the annual Relay For Life fundraiser for ACS, which takes place in more than 5,200 communities in the U.S. and in 20 countries around the world.
Wendy McKenney, chair if this year’s Relay For Life Committee, said organizers this year really hope that people will just take the time to come and check out the event.
“I really feel like once you’re there, you’re so drawn to the emotion and spirit of Relay that it almost becomes contagious.”
The committee hopes to have as many cancer survivors as possible attend of course, but also welcome people who haven’t been diagnosed with or battled cancer to come see what Relay For Life is all about and to witness the amazing support of the community and all who reach out to help those with cancer through the battle.
The Coombs family team changed their name to “Georgia on Our Mind” for last year’s Relay For Life of Brunswick because one of those family members, Georgia White, died of pancreatic cancer a couple weeks after participating in the previous year’s Relay For Life survivor lap.
White’s sister Brenda Uhle said so much of their family members had battled some form of cancer.
Minutes before she joined family to lead the survivor lap last year, “If we can stop one (cancer casualty), or help someone make it through,” Uhle said, that is why the family returns every year to Relay. “It just makes us feel closer to the ones we lost and it’s a chance to reflect.”
The very popular opening ceremony and survivor lap begins Friday at 6 p.m. and any and all survivors are welcome to come even if only for this event. There are 41 teams and 240 participants signed up. As usual, bags bearing the name of loved ones who have been diagnosed with or have lost their battle with cancer, will be illuminated around the track. The Luminaria ceremony starts at 9 p.m. and includes the emotional reading of names of those who have lost their battle to cancer and a reflection lap.
The event also celebrates those who have beat cancer. At Relay For Life this year there will be face painting, Zumba, a scavenger hunt, Bingo, a movie tent, ultimate Frisbee, a sunflower seed spitting contest and yes, yoga at 4 a.m. by Sunrise Yoga.
There are several theme laps through the night and early morning: the survivor and caregiver lap, team lap, an 80’s lap, purple lap, health lap, the Mrs. Relay competition, the balloon pop race, formal wear lap, YMCA lap; Midnight Madness pizza lap; a pajama lap, the New England sports lap, crazy hat lap, backwards lap, threelegged lap, Mardi Gras lap and a “here comes the sun” lap.
“Relay For Life is an important event for our entire community,” said Amy St. John, Community Manager for Relay For Life. “I don’t know anyone that hasn’t been touched by cancer. Seeing your friends, neighbors, business owners, teachers, and all the faces of folks at Relay is so healing for those battling cancer now and reminds the people that have lost loved ones to cancer that we stand with them in remembering those they have lost. Relay is meaningful, but Relay is also fun!!! It is a truly great event that we invite everyone to come out and participate in.”
For more information, a full schedule and to learn more about the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life, visit www.relayforlife.org/brunswickme. Also, like Relay for Life – Brunswick, Maine on Facebook.
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