Relay For Life started with the cancer survivors walking around the track with the people who cared for them and helped them out during difficult times.
When they walked , they remembered friends and other family members that they lost in the ongoing war on CANCER . When they saw the luminary bags honoring those brave warriors who they lost, like one honoring Breanna Nicole Peña and other members of the community, tears ran down their cheeks.
At nine at night, the luminary bags where lit and a moment of silence was taken. Bags were lit in a way that they formed the word “HOPE” and then changed to “CURE” on the bleachers so ever yone could remember why they where walking and for who they were walking for.
The air was filled with sorrow and hopes to find the cure so the less fortunate did not die in vain and others do not have to hear the three dreaded words “you have cancer”.
Cancer does not play favorites. It strikes young or old, men and women, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and grandparents.
The people involved against the fight on cancer and who organized this event were Bob Laliberte, CHS English teacher; David Hernandez, CHS senior; Kristen Mick, CHS senior; Maya Mazzini, CHS senior; Fillipo Balistreri, CHS senior; and other members of this school and community.
Their goal along with the American Cancer Society is to reduce cancer diagnostics by twenty five percent. The teams and members of the community raised $22,000 and honored thirty survivors, one hundred and fifty luminary bags where lit to honor the beloved fallen members of the community.
Relay For Life is a 12 hour overnight event that began in Tacoma, Wash. around 1985.
Dr. Gordy Klatt kicked off the event walking a total of eighty three miles, because he wanted to show his patients that he cared about them and that he still had hope for them. He raised a total of twenty-seven thousand his first year. He accomplished this when his family, friends, and members of the community paid $25 to walk for thirty minutes with him.
Soon, the American Cancer Society made it into an event that everyone can do to take part of a philosophical event that helps celebrate more birthdays.
Written by: Angel Leon
