Relay a symbol of never-ending battle

The annual Mat-Su Valley Relay for Life happened this past weekend at the Colony High School track. The Relay is a 24-hour event meant to raise money and awareness for cancer survivors and those who lost their lives to the disease.

At 8:30 p.m. on Friday, the track is lined with white tents of various teams and organizations selling trinkets and baked goods in exchange for donations to the American Cancer Society. The Society’s earnings go to several cancer patient support groups around the Valley for things like transportation to treatment sessions, lodging for patients that have to travel for treatment, and feel-good workshops that teach patients cosmetic tips to deal with the physical effects of cancer. In honor of the event, the booths stay open all night long as people circle the track.

The overnight hours of the Relay aren’t arbitrary. The overnight event is symbolic of cancer being a 24-hour job. The idea is that cancer never sleeps, so for a night neither do those supporting the battle against cancer. The purpose of the Relay is to celebrate cancer survivors, remember the loved ones lost to the disease and fight back by making personal pledges to create cancer awareness, or improve personal health.

The walk began with a survivors’ lap and the track doesn’t empty until the Relay is finished. The idea is that the walk symbolizes the fight with cancer by beginning in the evening and running right through the darkest time of the night right into the dawn.

The outpouring of student and community support is both heartwarming and sobering. Statistics show that cancer touches one of every three people in their lifetimes. The luminaria celebration attests to that. For a small donation a white paper bag and electric candle can be purchased, and they are decorated and laid out around the track in memorial or honor of a loved one with cancer. This year, the bags circled the quarter-mile long track completely.

The Relay for Life is a great community event that draws a diverse crowd to a common goal. Some teams, like Team Butcher, celebrate survivors. Some, like Key Club, just enjoy an opportunity to support the community. More than 50 teams and 700 people registered to walk this year, and the event raised more than $100,000.

At 3 a.m., the darkest time of the night, about 40 people walked the track as Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” floated across the field. Only one luminaria bag had fallen over; the rest stood bravely around the track, encouraging the walkers to stay vigilant for a few hours longer.