Relay for Life

On Sunday, I went to my first Relay for Life event. For whatever reason, the last few years didn't quite work out in terms of my schedule, but this year I was determined to at least make an appearance. I had worked the night before so I was a little tired. When I got there, I was a little nervous about going in. I didn't quite know how I was supposed to feel or what to expect.

Walking into the event, I saw a lot of people walking around a track that they had made around the sports complex. I maneuvered my way through the crowd to look for my hospital's tent. I was greeted by my manager and a volunteer when I got there. The volunteer was a cancer survivor and she had made it to every year's events, even staying overnight in the tent to show her support for this cause.

I put my things down and my manager and I went for a walk on the track. She was explaining to me how this was her first event here in Salinas and how beautiful it was the night before when they lit the Luminaries. She recapped all the events of the day prior and how touching it was to have people share stories of both triumph and loss.

After getting back from a lap around, I decided to continue my walk. I walked for an hour that day to bring awareness for a great cause and to reflect and remember my mom.

When the walking was done and the closing ceremonies were to start, I met with more people from our tent. A young man had been walking and volunteering for the full 24hours. His story was quite incredible. His mom was a patient at our hospital who had passed away just a few months earlier. He wanted to be at the event to honor her memory and to volunteer his time for this cause.

Him and his friends run a small business that air brushes art onto different mediums. They made our "Wings of Hope" shirts that were sold to raise money for the event. They even did custom airbrushing on the shirts for everyone who ordered one. I had gotten one of those shirts and they did a custom piece for my shirt to honor my mom.


I had never expected to connect with people the way I did at this event. Relay For Life isn't just about raising money or awareness for a cause, it's about connecting and relating with people. It's about healing, growing, and remembering all the people who have fought, lost, or survived this terrible disease. And knowing that no matter how alone you may have felt going through loss or suffering, you aren't alone.

Cancer doesn't discriminate and there are many people affected who want to make a difference.  If you have an event coming up in your community, even if you weren't personally affected by cancer, I highly recommend going. It will remind you that there is always hope, there are people who care, and you'll be reminded of the true resiliency of mankind.