Relay For Life

As many of you know, I got involved with Relay For Life after my thyroid cancer diagnosis 2.5 years ago.  At that time, I didn't really know that much about Relay - I'd heard good things from friends who had participated previously, and it seemed like a good thing to do.  Now that I know more about what Relay is and what it does, I am so glad that I got involved.  And after my second cancer diagnosis in just over as many years, the cause is even more important to me now, and I wanted to take some time to let you know exactly why:

The event itself:
Relay is a 24-hour walk-a-thon to raise money for the American Cancer Society.  Teams of people camp around a track and members of each team take turns walking the track.  People decorate their campsites based on the event's theme, and there are food, games, raffles, and entertainment.  In addition to the awesome fun of one big party, there are more somber, serious moments.  The survivor's lap celebrates anyone who has had to hear the terrible words "You have cancer."  The luminaria ceremony is a beautiful time to remember those we have lost to cancer, to honor people who have fought in the past, and support those who continue to fight.  And the fight back ceremony helps people understand what they can do in the fight against cancer.  All in all, it is an inspiring, one-of-a-kind event.

The programs it supports:
Here is an infographic showing what money raised by Relay For Life is used for.

One program that they don't call out here is Look Good, Feel Better.  This program helps women deal with the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment, and I am signed up to attend this program in May.  In this workshop, I will get skin and nail care tips, advice on dealing with hair loss, a makeup lesson, and a cosmetic kit with instruction books.  And because of the money raised by events like Relay For Life, I will get to attend this workshop for free.  

The people who participate:
I have met some of the most wonderful, kindhearted people at Relay.  I count my staff partner as one of my dear friends.  We are participating in a different Relay this year than the past two years, and the community there has welcomed me with open arms.  So many of these people have sent me notes of encouragement and offers of help over the last few weeks, and it truly touches my heart.



How you can help:
This year, my team decided to step up to the plate and participate in a fundraising challenge called March Mayhem (can you guess what it's modeled after?!).  After having no idea how well we would do, WE MADE IT TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND!!  The final round runs until 11:59 PM on Sunday, and we are really hoping to win!  Not only would we get bragging rights (hugely important), but the prize for winning is determined by the team who wins.  Since I'll be in the middle of chemo for our event, getting to pick a prize to make Relay a little more comfortable for our team would be amazing.

Lots of my readers have been extremely generous in the past, and I know that many of you have already given a donation this year.  If you have not, I would ask you to consider going to http://main.acsevents.org/goto/etmerola and making a donation this weekend. There is no amount too small to make a difference.  Thank you so much for all of your love and support!