Relay For Life - Parkville-Carney Style

Raise your hand if you know someone who has been touched by cancer.  Keep your hand up if you've heard of Relay for Life AND know what it is? Uh-Huh.  I thought so.  Let me explain a little bit about Relay for Life.  I'm sure you know that it's a fundraiser to help rid the world of cancer, but do you know what it really is?  There are approximately 18 students at Parkville High School who are getting really familiar with Relay.  They are learning all about how much is involved in being a part of a Relay for Life.  It is much more than just running around a track!  This group of kids have come together, and formed a Relay team called One Night, One Hope in order to participate in the Parkville-Carney Relay for Life at the Parkville Amory on June 30 from 2:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.  These are TEENAGERS giving up their Saturday afternoon and night to help erradicate cancer.  

Here are the details.  Relay for Life focuses on three primary things:

1.  Celebrate!  The idea behind a Relay for Life event is that it celebrates!  What is there to celebrate about Cancer?  Well, there are survivors - we are surely glad they survived, so we can celebrate, right? Every Relay is started with what's called a Survivor's Lap.  This is where all survivors present walk the walking area with no one else walking. It is truly humbling, and worth celebrating. There is also progress seen daily - this is also a reason to celebrate.  So, a Relay is a fun event.  Fun with a Purpose, as Highlights Magazine is fond of saying (ooooh, did I date myself there?)

2.  Remember!  A Relay for Life is often a 12-24 hours event, so there is always an after dark remembrance.  You've heard of Luminarias?  Well, anyone can contribute a $10 donation for a luminaria in honor or in memory of a loved one who has survived or hasn't survived the battle with Cancer.  These luminarias are lit after darkness starts to fall in honor and remembrance of why we are out there celebrating with Relay.

3.  Fighting Back.  At the end of each Relay there is a Fight Back ceremony where we ALL participate as we would like and make a personal comittment to do more to stop the spread of cancer and start seeing more birthdays!

So, do  you have to run a relay in order to participate?  No. . . you do not.  But you have to want to commit yourself to a lot of hours having fundraisers (I emphasize the fun in that word all the time, because if done properly, fundraisers are fun), and then to an all-day event to honor, celebrate and pay homage to those who have fought and won, and those who are currently fighting, as well as to respect the memories of those who haven't won the battle.  

This Saturday, June 23, 2012 the Sunoco at the corner of Joppa and Harford Roads has agreed to supply One Night, One Hope with space and water to hold a car wash in the morning from 9:30 a.m. - 12:00.  We will be there, taking your donations to wash your cars and feed your faces on homemade baked goods as well.  Please consider stopping by.  

Once that is in the record books, we will be Relaying for real on Saturday, June 30 from 2:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.  This will be at the Parkville Armory and everyone is invited to participate.  There will be live music, DJ'ed music, arts and crafts, and enough inspiration to knock your socks off. I hope to see you there!

Oh!  Did you want to donate to our Team?  Please feel free to do so :)  The link for Relay Team One Night, One Hope is here:  

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=team&fr_id=43082&team_id=1205605