Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Not your normal Saturday night, but one you'll remember

This weekend is the annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life. If you have never participated in this event I highly recommend you go to Mooberry Field on the WSU Campus on Saturday and support the participants, or better yet get out there and walk with them!

The "relay" consists of teams of people taking turns walking or running around a track for 24 hours. The goal is for each team to have at least one person on the track area for the duration of the event. And while this seems like great exercise, the event is so much more.

The first lap, aptly named the Survivor’s Lap, is walked by those who are currently fighting cancer or who have previously faced cancer. Additionally, at dusk Luminaria bags, decorated in honor of those battling cancer, have won the fight against cancer or in memory of those lost to cancer, are placed around the track and lit. I can't explain to you how moving it is to walk around the track for a few hours, looking at the brightly colored bags that glow with hope for a cure. Honestly, show up at twilight and see for yourself. I promise you won’t be the only one.

Many of the teams stay and camp out for the night, offering their teammates on the track support and other forms of motivation. ACS often provides music, sometimes live, to keep the participants energized. It’s a fun event for all involved and knowing that your efforts could help cure cancer adds to the excitement. Again, I seriously recommend you get involved now and spend your Saturday doing something worthwhile. You won’t regret it! You might even find that you giving part of this one day could be life changing.

For more information on the event, or how you can get involved, please visit the Pullman Relay for Life website.

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