Well, last night was my first 2013 Relay for Life Committee Meeting. So, you may ask....what exactly is Relay for Life? I, too, was once in the dark....it's only the BIGGEST event of the year for the American Cancer Society. What's the purpose? To CELEBRATE Survivors, REMEMBER loved ones who've lost their battle with cancer, and FIGHT BACK against the disease that steals so much from those we love and our families.
Originally, when Relay began in 1985, one man ran around a track for 24 hours. He raised $27,000 that night. And it has grown from there....to include over 5,200 Relay events in the US alone and more than 1,000 in 20 other countries. So, last night when our ACS Representative brought up the proposal to shorten our event from 12 hours to just 8 or 9....I thought..."but that's defeating the whole idea!" Cancer never sleeps, and neither do (or did) Relayers. For just ONE night a year, couldn't we put forth the effort and stay up all night to make a difference in a cause that might help end cancer forever? When our Committee hashed out the argument, we came down to this....Relay celebrates SURVIVORS. And if a shortened event would bring more teams, more funds, more activities, involve more participants and ultimately raise more awareness, so that one day there will be more Survivors, then that is the way we should go. So goodbye old Relay format...hello to a new, bigger, better event! Change for the most part is hard to deal with....but in the long run, it just takes time to adjust to something better.
Undoubtedly, when I recruit new Team members this year....I certainly won't be hearing "But do I really have to stay ALL night??"
To find out more about Relay for Life, find an event near you, join a team, start a team, or volunteer, go to:
http://www.relayforlife.org/
And watch the Relay Story below.
Hoping, praying, and walking for a CURE!
~ Lisa
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