Why I Relay...

Laughing in the Rain

add Team Bunco to my list...

Please check out this blog. 

This blog just made my week. This fresh, positive perspective meant we did our job as a committee.

Dancing

This year for Relay I truly felt behind the scenes. For the past few years, my job was to create the scenes as I was in charge of SPIRIT.  This year was a tad bit different.

Co-Chairs

As I read her blog, I could only think of all that went on behind the scenes to make sure she thought it was occurring so blissfully.

Opening Ceremony

A Smart Cookie...
A Princess Slaying Cancer.

#1) Survivor's Lap...came real close to not making it..as in seconds of not having music. Power was lost in the middle of calling the names to the DJ's hookup. We didn't have enough time to run around and flip the breaker. Thank God, I had learned the Stadium PA the day before. As soon as I realized the DJ was down, up the bleachers I hiked to where Kevin, a family friend and EVHS teacher, was already waiting to meet and help me. I got the system up and running while he was collecting the mics.  DJ Dave was already headed up with his Mac. Dave and I made all the cords connect just as the Sheriff and 2nd grade Survivor fired the pistol to start Relay.  We laugh about it now, but at the time it took extreme communication and promptness to connect all the different cables and converters. As the crowd was emotionally drawn to the touching, celebratory Survivors' lap, Dave and I were high fiving and hugging/creating a pseudo playlist for Parade of Teams while multitasking the electricity situation.  Woowee. And, it's less than an hour into Relay.



#2) 2 1/2 Evacuations: 2 really happened...I say a 1/2 because the first was a pseudo-slip by the DJ that the school was open.  These evacuations went beautifully.I think I went 50 mph and freaked the deputy out who was with me for one of them (don't worry I didn't hit and kids or Cancer Survivors...sheesh). There were greeters (ok, Farmington teachers I grabbed) at the doors giving information. Committee members at the corners of the 'inside' track (so mischievous HSers didn't slip upstairs). I can't tell you how many times I checked out the radar on the AD's computer or how many times the 'Friendly voice of Anne' went over the PA system. And, everyone's attitude was 'right there.' POSITIVE! My Asst. Principal showed up at 4:30 AM for the 5K at 5 AM. We were in evacuation #2 at this point. What do you do? Have a 5K inside with Rocky music over the PA (we had a better turnout than last year...outside). Made it easy.

EV Student

Cameraman helping

#3) Luminaria Ceremony:  The poignant part of Relay. White bags 'in memory' or 'in honor' are lit around the track with HOPE spelled out in the bleachers. This time falls at night and draws many emotional reactions from people. For me it's a moment of inner peace and rememberance for the battle we fight, for every person it's something different.  We had a choice. Go for it even with the impending rain or do it inside. We decided to go big or go home. So during the first real evacuation, we noticed we had a window on the radar to try to pull this off and time it with the stadium lights. Well darned if it didn't get pulled off, as a team and tons of volunteers raced to the get the whole track surrounded by bags and have them lit. The TV camera guy put down the camera to move bags. The AD was using soda cases to move bags. Gators were moving bags. My uncle showed up 'I  knew you'd need help' he said. I ran back over to EVHS and waiting for the signal to 'Friendly voice of Anne' that they could proceed to the track. It started to rain. There we stood huddled in the DJ tent as my Pastor shared a story of David and Goliath relating Goliath to cancer. You could hear the rain. Luminaria lits. HOPE didn't dimmer. It was surreal.

Why I Relay

Moral of the Story: Why do I Relay? Because at the end of the day, I know it takes a village to beat cancer. It takes your teammate, the athletic director, your coworker, the person sitting in the church pew behind you, the person who normally annoys you, the electrician, the kid, the athlete, the doctor, the husband, the caregiver, a brother who gets his arm twisted to be a Team Captain, T & D traveling from Cville for 1 lap,  the Survivor, the parent...it takes everyone to stand up and fight back against cancer. And, that is what Relay does.

The weekend ended with it being announced that Relay 2011 had raised over $195,000 so far for the American Cancer Society.  That is a community coming together to fight back.  Thank you.