Relay For Life

On May 14, 2005, it was time once again to head down to Crescenta Valley High School for the Foothills Relay for Life — a 24-hour walk to raise money for the American Cancer Society. It was my third year going, and experience told me that I was in for a great time. Turns out, I was right. That year turned out to be more of an “experience” than I ever anticipated.

The Relay for Life was founded by a doctor who wanted to raise money for cancer research. He walked non-stop for a full 24 hours to illustrate how cancer patients were fighting non-stop. So, every year they hold a Relay to raise as much money as they can. Participants or teams collect donations from friends and family before the event. The goal is to get $100 per team member. When we arrived, they gave us purple wristbands to show that we were team members. Also, everyone that had raised $100 dollars received a special t-shirt. Altogether, there were about 28 teams.

The idea is you go there at 10 a.m., pitch a tent in your team’s area on the grass, and stay for 24 hours- until 10 a.m. the next morning. As usual, my mom and I had our tent up in 10 seconds flat while the other, rather large, families in our church struggled with their rather large tents. Our tent is like an umbrella: you simply pull and it opens. My best friend Cassandra came with us, and we set up all our stuff- extra clothes, toiletries, etc. then settled down to watch the rest of the action.

First, there was a short warm-up done by a trainer on the stage. Then there were opening speeches and welcomes. Before everyone began walking, all the cancer survivors present walked an honorary lap. I believe the youngest one was less than five years old. Then, members from each team started walking. Our team had a sheet that showed everyone’s turns and “shifts.” My shift turned out to be longer than I had signed up for because I just kept walking, and it felt so good.

All around the track, each team had set up some sort of booth or area where they sold things or let you make things. All the money gathered from these activities went into the total quota, which later turned out to be more than $123,000. There were slushies and candy bars for sale, light sticks at night, games you could play, live aquarium fish to buy, everything you can think of. Our church was the “Fishermen Team,” so we had a little toy “pond” where kids could fish for 50 cents. Every fish had a little prize on it, and you got to keep the prize and the fish.

Also, there were luminarias on sale. A lumanaria is basically a paper bag with holes cut out of it, that later has sand poured into it, and a candle stuck inside. At night, all the candles are lit, and it looks very nice. This year, I decided to buy a luminaria in memory of my grandma, who passed away in 2004 from cancer. I wrote a message on the luminaria which would later be displayed with the rest around the track.

All throughout the day, there were activities, songs, dances, and games. My favorite was scrabble. They began giving letters for every lap walked. When someone formed a word, they got a prize. Cassandra and I formed a word and got a little fish toy. Prizes, along with food and many other things, were provided by certain generous organizations. In fact, the whole thing was sponsored by those organizations, and they were recognized on the t-shirts. The food was very good. They gave us four meals, plus snacks and water in between. That year, it was very hot, and I believe someone fainted from dehydration. After that, they told us to drink lots and lots of water. Truckloads were brought in because there were so many people.

In the evening we had the luminaria ceremony, which turned out to be quite emotional. There were stories, testimonies, prayers, tears, and music. The luminarias were lit, and everyone was given a candle. Then we all walked a slow lap, carrying the candles, while we read the messages on the luminarias. I thought about my grandma, and cried, but it was a bitter- sweet moment. The luminarias were not only “in memory of,” those who had died of cancer, but also “in honor of” those who had won the fight.

There were movies playing during the night, including, “Pirates of the Caribbean.” I walked throughout most the night and got only about 4 hours of sleep. I was walking and collecting beads. Basically, you get one bead for every lap that you walk, and on every 6th lap you get a letter bead. By the time I was done, I had spelled out, “Araks Ohanyan WWJD.” I had a long necklace of 100 beads. Those who saw it were impressed.

The following morning we had breakfast, then there were closing speeches and awards: for best decorated area, for most laps walked, etc. They called up everyone who had walked a lot, and then eliminated one by one. The announcer called everyone who had walked more than 80 laps, more than 90 laps, and so on. I left the stage when he called for more than 100, but everyone clapped for me. The award for most laps went to a member of our church, who walked 139 laps. Four laps is a mile, so he basically walked 34.75 miles.

Then, it was time to pack up and go. Afterwards, at church, I got another round of applause. I was so happy that day. I never expected to walk so much, or to have so much fun. The last two years that I went were also a blast, but that one year holds a special place in my heart. I was rooting for the American Cancer Society, especially because of my grandmother. I guess that was my way of showing my appreciation for everything they have done and continue to do. I will remember that day for a long time. I still have that necklace and to me, it’s a symbol of everyone’s dedication at the Relay for Life.