Relay for Life unites the fight against cancer
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Relay for Life, the signature event for ACS. Teams are asked to raise money prior to the overnight event, and are then asked to have a representative from their team on the track at all times during the night. After all, cancer never sleeps.
After the opening ceremonies, the celebration began. Live music and free food contributed to the festive atmosphere as the 65 teams began their night-long journey.
As the sun set, the stage was set for the more serious part of the program. Relay committee members and volunteers lined the entire track with luminaria, decorated white paper bags that remembered lost loved ones, celebrated those who are currently battling cancer, and depicted reasons for walking. After a candle was lit inside each luminaria, everyone was called together to begin the silent lap, which provided the opportunity for individual reflection while at the same time bringing the entire group together as one community.
It was that same sense of community that brought Laurel Jarchow to that very event. A first-year student at University of Washington, she explained her reason for walking. “My dad’s father had brain cancer, and his father, and his father. The idea of my own father getting brain cancer has just seemed inevitable. I walk to end brain cancer,” she said.
Jarchow’s story made it clear that this was not just Relay for Life at Pacific Lutheran University. This was an event that united people from all over - regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or religion - in the fight to end cancer once and for all.
The united effort raised a total of $31,660.38 for ACS during the event, which will help fund lifesaving research and provide services and support for cancer patients and their families.
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