Relay for Life…A Celebration

This year, The Second Knob was delighted to participate in the fundraising efforts for American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.  Throughout the year, our shop has offered cookbooks for sale which support Family Health Network “Making a Difference” Relay for Life Team. The same team held a hosted party at the shop a few weeks ago. During the course of the evening, we offered door prizes and the team provided both snacks and drinks. Twenty percent of all purchases was donated to the American Cancer Society.

As in years past, I participated in Friday evening’s Relay event and once again was reminded of what an incredible event the Relay for Life is and how beautiful it is to see so many people working together for a single cause.

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life began in Tacoma, Washington in 1985. Today, there are over 5200 Relay for Life events in the United States and over $4.5 billion dollars has been raised to save lives. Last week, the Cortland County Relay for Life raised $130,000 thanks to 52 teams—640 participants.

If you’ve never attended a Relay event, you don’t know what you are missing.  During this overnight, relay-style event, teams of people camp out around a track and participants from each team take turns circling the track. With food, fun and activities, the Relay is a family-friendy activity which, in addition to raising money for cancer research and saving lives, brings communities closer together.

As hundreds of community members gathered inside SUNY Cortland’s Lusk Field House, the Relay environment was full of energy and hope. Teams around the track offered activities and did fundraising. One team offered a bead for every lap around the track, another team offered pedicures and yet another team offered hula-hooping. There were raffles and demonstrations, dancing and singing. It sounds like a celebration doesn’t it? It really is a celebration– of life and what people are capable of. It is a celebration of lives, even those that were lost and a celebration of survival and cancer Survivors.

The Survivor’s Lap, a key moment of the Relay,  is always emotional. Again this year, we watched as Survivors circled the track; there were both young and old, boys and girls, men and women. There were friends—all of whom are survivors– that walked hand in hand. There were husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, parents and children– each a walking reminder that cancer doesn’t discriminate. It is next to impossible to watch these people– each of them a symbol of strength- walk by and not feel moved to tears because of what they’ve gone through. For any of us whose lives have been touched by cancer, we know the fear that accompanies a cancer diagnosis and watching each of these survivors gives us hope.

After dark, the Luminaria Ceremony takes place. This is, by far, my favorite Relay event. Luminarias are small bags that bear the name of a person touched by cancer. Often, these bags are decorated by loved ones, some have a picture, others a note or a memory. Some offer “support” for people who are currently fighting cancer, others “honor” survivors and others are “in memory” of someone whose life was lost to cancer. When the Relay is held outside, a candle is placed inside each luminaria and the dark track comes alive. This year, due to weather, the event was held inside and many teams still illuminated the luminarias with battery operated candles or glow sticks.

As always, this year’s Relay for Life event in Cortland County was beautiful. I encourage everyone to get involved in a Relay for Life event next year. Visit the American Cancer Socitey Relay for Life website at www.relayforlife.org and search for an event near you by entering your zipcode. And be sure to watch The Second Knob’s Facebook page for information on our Relay for Life fundraisers!

By Shana Karn, The Second Knob

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