Relay for Life

CASEY RESSLER

Frontiersman Valley Life editor

Their faces were those of young and old. Their bodies were big, small, skinny and heavy. They represented virtually every demographic, from physical stature to economic class. The only thing connecting the group was the color purple.

Purple is the color chosen by the American Cancer Society to represent cancer survivors. Purple is power, and that was on display Friday at the Relay for Life at Colony High School.

At 6 p.m., the event kicked off with a large contingent of purple-wearing survivors taking a "victory lap" around the Colony track. Some held hands, while some walked arm-in-arm. Some chatted with their fellow survivors, while others walked alone, reflecting on the struggles they have overcome. The message on the back of the purple shirts said it all, "I am a living, breathing inspiration."

Following the survivors' lap, teams of people started walking, biking and Rollerblading around the track at Colony. Through Saturday afternoon, they continued, through a fierce rain early Saturday morning, through darkness, through cold - the continuing walk representing the struggles of cancer patients.

This year's Relay for Life was among the best in the nine-year history of the event in the Valley.

"Our goal was to raise $45,000, and we're already at $47,000," said Roni Brown, an event organizer. "I thought the goal was set pretty high to begin with, but we've already exceeded it."

The event hold special significance to those whose lives have been touched by cancer. At midnight, luminaires were placed around the track, bearing names and photographs of cancer survivors and victims.

With a bagpiper leading the lap, the midnight walk was filled with emotion.

"This is always the hardest part," said Cassie Whiting, a breast cancer survivor who stopped to look at a luminaire with her name on it following the midnight lap. "It's just my name on a bag, but it means a lot more. There are a lot of names out here.

"Each one of those names is someone who went through what I did, or even worse," Whiting said, holding back tears. "It's been almost eight years for me, but it feels like just yesterday."

Throughout the two-day event, festive music filled the air, giving a feeling of celebration to the atmosphere.

Despite the steady rain Saturday, the event was a success. While there is no way of counting all those who showed up to walk, organizers said it appeared that this year's event was one of the biggest they can remember.

The Relay for Life is a national event, with small community walks taking place around the country.