Relay for Life 2013

I have been participating in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life for many years.  I have always found the Relay to be a way to reflect, honor those we've lost, and bond together in the fight against cancer.  Some years, that fight is more real than others.  This year, was one of those years.  

My favorite part of the Relay is the luminaria ceremony, a time when the names of those that we are walking for line the track.  Below is a collage of the luminaries that honor those that I walk for each year.   

This Relay for Life started with a first for me: attending a Survivor's dinner.  Mom joined other survivors for the first lap of the night and we followed in a Caregiver lap. Last year, Dad joined me for a few laps while Mom was at home resting after a day of chemo.  This year, Mom not only had the strength to walk with us, but she was actually ahead of us and we had to run to catch up.  Also, she was wearing a cape for part of the night to further prove she is a superhero. I'm not sure how long it will take for me to stop marking each milestone. I often find myself looking around and thinking "what a difference a year makes." 

Our small but mighty team raised $1,635 which contributed to the almost $40,000 that the University of Richmond's Relay for Life raised this year.  This was the largest Relay that U of R has hosted and surpassed last year's Relay by almost $5,000.  90 cents of every dollar goes directly into American Cancer Society programming which directly benefits families like mine. The support of friends, family, and co-workers throughout the year, and the community that is rallied through the Relay for Life, offers me hope that someday the battle against cancer will be won for good.