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ACS’s Relay for Life held at Hazelwood Central
Cancer survivors traditionally take the first walk around the track at the North County Relay For Life. held at Hazelwood Central’s track.
ACS’s Relay For Life Still an Emotional Events For All Ages
By Jeremy Thomas
Vivid colors, cheerful people, and lots of love were might best describe the 2011 Relay for life of North Saint Louis County on Aug. 6 at Hazelwood Central High School, sponsored by the American Cancer Society.
The event featured 152 participants, 20 different teams, and raised $9,618. There were various amounts of tents, and booths surrounding the track with many different organizations. There were big groups such as Christian Hospital, Roses Gone Wild, and the Florissant Elks Lodge 2316. There were also the small groups like Emerson YMCA, Walk. Pray. Love and Vietnam Veterans against Cancer.
The event had a particular theme to it, which was Celebrate, Remember, and Fight back. The celebrate theme kicked off the event with a survivors lap— this was a time where all the cancer survivors were invited to circle the track together and help everyone celebrate the victories they have achieved over cancer.
The survivors were meet with rounds of applauds from everywhere around the track, a truly emotional event as some survivors and their supporters wear in tears from all of the love and support. The few hours leading up to the premier event of the Relay (The Luminaria Ceremony) there was Zumba dancing to keep the crowd entertained. Along with Zumba there were rounds of musical chairs, water balloon toss, Hula hooping, Karaoke, and many other activities to get everyone involved.
As the hours rolled on and day turned to night, the remember theme kicked off the Luminaria ceremony. The ceremony was a very special moment for everyone to take time and remember, and honor people who have been touched by cancer. While also remembering love ones lost to the disease. Candles were lit inside bags filled with sand each bearing the name of a person touched by cancer, and participants walked a lap on the track in silence.
In the stands Boy Scouts spelled out the word “Hope” with the sand bags. The candles inside the bags illuminated it so the word could be seen from miles away.
As the event went into the early morning hours it was concluded with the Fight Back ceremony. At the ceremony survivors and everyone else made a personal commitment to save lives by taking up the fight against cancer.
Sponsors for the event included: 93.7 The bull, Rewind 103.3, Suburban Journals, Women’s Journals, Christian Hospital, Z 107.7, Magic 104.9, Bommarito of Hazelwood, and 100.3 Gen X radio.
The event may have had fewer participants than in years past, but the enthusiasm was still in high gear and the emotions were heart-warming.
Cancer survivors and friends gather at the event under tents and on the sidewalk
before the start of the actual relay around the Hazelwood Central track
