Relay for Life 2009

This past weekend I participated in Pataskala's Relay for Life benefitting the American Cancer Society. This is my 3rd year attending, but my first year actually participating on a team. Here is the story of how I got involved with it. Back early 2007 (I think?) a friend of mine from church called me saying that she felt she needed to go to the emergency room because she hadn't been feeling well, and was running a fever and just knew something wasn't right. Her husband was at work, but didn't want to call an ambulance, either. So I told her I would come get her and take her to the hospital. I stayed with her most of the night, until her husband got there in the very early morning. Long story short, they found that she had a large cyst on one of her ovaries, the size of a volleyball!! They removed it and did find that it was cancerous. She had to go through chemotherapy, but thankfully everything went great! So that year (2007) she asked me to take her to the Relay for Life and help her with the survivor's lap. It has become a bit of a tradition with us, now! I've thought the past 2 years how I'd like to be on a team, but never was motivated to actually do so.

But this year a sister in our church decided to start 'Team Latter Day Saints'. I was so excited! I signed up and was eager to help any way that I could. I was incharge of doing the decorations for our booth, but I didn't do real well - alot of the decorations didn't hold up to the wind. I'll keep that in mind for next year... Thankfully it wasn't hot at all and it didn't rain during the relay, either. I walked the 11pm to midnight shift, and the noon to one shift. I didn't actually walk the whole last hour because they were doing closing ceremonies and I wanted to watch that. Our little team raised over $1200!! Over all this relay raised just over $30,000! It was just amazing.

Cancer is an awful awful thing. I think just about everyone at least knows someone who is affected by it. I hope and pray that they will find a cure and find it fast. I heard so many stories this weekend of children, even babies who have this awful disease. Cancer is horriffic, but it's even worse, it seems, when it affects the life of an innocent child. I love the motto for the Relay: Celebrate, Remember, Fight back! I walked my laps in memory of my recently departed grandfather, James Slack, who died of Leukemia, and in honor of my friend, Diana Taggart, who won her battle of Ovarian cancer.

Here are some pictures from the Relay for you all to enjoy!

Here is our overly motivated team Captian Brandy with her husband Derrick and her youngest, Kaylee. From watching her these past few months I have found I would get much more done in life if I had even half of the motivation she does! She's amazing!

Here is me walking the survivor lap with Diana. I was so honored that she wanted me to be with her. :) I was very proud of and happy for her that she was able to walk the entire lap!!

Here is our team doing our fundraiser. Brandy got Chipotle to DONATE 150 burritos for us to sell at the relay! This fundraiser brought in just under $400 I think.

I loved the luminaria ceremony. It was so amazing and inspiring. They lined the entire track with luminarias in honor of many cancer survivors and in memory of those who bravely fought the disease. I love how they spelled 'HOPE' on the bleachers - it was almost like they were announcing to the heavens our hope that a cure will be found.

Diana's Luminaria

Here are some boys from our ward who participated with their family: Chance and DJ Crook. They are such good boys! They are both in my sunday school class. Chance is pushing Kaylee, Brandy's baby.

Here is me and my friend Sarah Brazier Saturday morning. She walked from 11-12, and even walked another 30 mins with me chatting! She's so fun.

I am so glad that I participated in the Relay this year. It really was amazing and I can't wait til next year!!