a two-time breast cancer survivor,
celebrating life at the annual
Relay for Life event in Medford, Oregon
May 30-31, 2009
Last weekend, at 10:00 a.m., members of the community gathered at Medford's Spiegelburg Stadium to show their ongoing support in the fight against cancer at the annual Relay for Life event. Even through extreme heat, followed by rain and "nature's firework show" ~ thunder and lightening ~ we continued to walk to find a cure!
"Celebrating 150 Years of Oregon" was this year's theme and the teams really showed their creativity. A couple of fun teams were the "Goonies", a popular movie filmed in Astoria, Oregon (and all true Goonie fans know their motto ~ "Goonies never say die!!") and the "Civil War" - for those of you unfamiliar with Oregon sports, this is the annual meeting between the University of Oregon Fighting Ducks and the Oregon State Weasels, oops - I mean Beavers (just HAD to throw that dig in for all of my Beaver friends!!). Their theme was "Divided but UNITED in finding a Cure!". My team - PremierWest Bank - was a wild west bank, complete with ponies, cowboy hats and bandannas and we were "Banking on a Cure". A HUGE shout out to everyone at PRWT for their ongoing support because we couldn't have done it without you!
Each hour we had a different theme to add to the fun and local dance, Tae Kwon Do, and Karate schools gave performances and demonstrations of their talents. DJ Troy, also a committee member, kept the beat compliments of KISS-FM.
The Survivor Ceremony began at 4:00 and as each Survivor's name was called they were presented a medal by the Oregon National Guard. After the last name was called, the Survivors gathered together on the track for their Victory Lap. The look on their faces as they walked by and saw their family, friends and members of the community cheering them on was PRICELESS!! Many are still going through treatment, and the walk is not an easy one, but it just shows the strength and determination of these courageous people and how much it needs to be celebrated!!
As the sun went down and the stars began to light the sky, candle lit luminary bags lined the track. On each bag a name was written in celebration of those who have won; in honor of those who are still fighting; and in memory of those who have lost their battle against cancer. The Luminary Ceremony is a time to reflect and to honor all of those who have been touched by this dreaded disease. A lone bagpiper walked the dark track - a tiny flicker from each bag provided the only light to guide our way - played "Amazing Grace". We followed, walking silently, reading the names on each bag and reflecting. This is one of the hardest, but most beautiful moments. I walked with my mom, who tried so hard not to show she was crying. I put my arm around her and told her it was okay.
I have a strict policy - there are no calories at Relay!! Local companies donate food or their portion of the proceeds back to Relay for Life and the "midnight soup" is so delicious!! I also look forward to the movie and this year was no disappointment! At 2:00 a.m. the screen went up and we were treated to none other than "The Goonies"!! What an awesome show for all ages!!
At 4:00 a.m. I started to see a glimmer of light and then dawn was upon us quickly. I walked from 5:00 to 5:30 and it was absolutely beautiful. After a few more hours, camp came down and we gathered for the Closing Ceremony.
Our year was a success - as of this date we raised $107,000.00 and we are so proud. I am already starting to work on ideas for 2010!! Cancer never sleeps and neither should we when it comes to our journey to FIND A CURE!!
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