To Life, To Life!!
Last night my family participated in the Cancer Society's Relay for Life for the fourth time. It's an event we give our time to annually, we always have a great time and the feeling to see 7:00 a.m. and know you made it is an exhilarating one. Especially on evenings like last night, through the rain, it is a challenge to keep motivated to make it through, but then you remember those who have lost their battle and see those fighting and those who are surviving and you realize that your walk, is a walk in the park compared to their fight against this horrible disease.
I think the best part of the evening for me and the most emotional is the opening ceremonies, it always begins with lots of energy and hype to get all the participants focused and to add lots of smiles to their faces:
After all the wind UP, the greatest and most emotional first lap of the relay begins with all the survivors, led by bagpipers, which if you know me, you know that no matter the occasion, I am a blubbering idiot as soon as I hear bagpipes. It is really great to see all the smiling faces of those who have won their battle and I don't think it was just me, but the group appears to be getting larger each year, which means our efforts ARE making a difference, here's to a growing first lap..
Honestly, how beautiful are these faces?
and we're off.....
Don't get me wrong, there is lots of resting too:
and entertainment to keep us all going:
At 10:00 all Team Captains light the luminaries that line our path and light our way through the night. Each luminary represents someone who has lost their battle or survived and as we walk through the night, these luminaries serve as a reminder of why we are there.
The night is long and tiring, but it is such a great feeling to see that sunrise, to walk in the morning fresh air and to do it with so many people joined together for such a great cause!
It's a new dawn, it's a new day:
Good Morning Ladies:
Good Morning Gentleman:
To Life, To Life!
See you all next year :-)
