Leave it to me

Tomorrow kicks off one of my favorite events of the year in Milledgeville – Relay For Life. I wrote in a column recently that one of the main things I will remember about GC&SU is seeing students bundled up in blankets or walking around the clock to raise money for the fight against cancer.

This will be my fourth year participating in Relay For Life. Every year, I leave a little more touched by the way that people support this cause. People will go to all kinds of lengths to raise money. You may see anything from men dressed up in their best dresses for a beauty pageant, to businesses and organization representatives all decked out as their particular mascot – all in the name of a great cause.

People will be having a great time throughout the night. But the thing that impresses me the most is that through all the fun and humor that takes place, everyone still remembers why they’re there.

The event always features a Survivor’s Walk. It’s so inspiring to see the faces that are the reason for Relay For Life. Everyone has a “reason to relay.” I was a team captain last year. As I continued to go to the captain meetings, we would often stand in a circle and share our “reason to relay.” For some, it was a family member or a friend. For others, it was multiple people they were close to that had been effected. For others, it was simply the hope that they could play a part in helping to find a cure.

Last year, as the clock started to wind down, the amount that had been raised was just under the goal. Chairman of the Baldwin County Relay For Life Committee, Kendall Stiles, had promised to dye her hair purple if the goal was reached. With just a few minutes left, I looked on in amazement as people generously hurried to give what money they could to help. In the end, the goal was reached.

I encourage everyone to be a part of Relay For Life this year. One team can help raise awareness. One dollar can help reach a goal. One person can change a life. Be a part this year, and in the end the goal will be reached.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 10 2003. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry