Relay For Life - A Fun Event for a Serious Cause

Story by Martha Lane

When is the last time you stayed up all night, ran around the track at your local high school, ate ice cream at midnight, slept in a tent under the stars and enjoyed your breakfast outside? Once a year hundreds of people in Southern Maryland will do just that and all for a very good cause- the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life.

This event began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma, Washington, colorectal surgeon, held a marathon at a local track to raise money for the local American Cancer Society. His friends, family and patients paid $25 to run or walk with him for 30 minutes. He covered 83 miles in 24 hours and raised $27,000.

Today, Relay For Life is held in thousands of communities in our country and has circled the globe to many foreign countries. It is the "largest nonprofit fundraising event in the world" according to the American Cancer Society's 2004 year end report.

In 2005, hundreds of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's county residents raised more than $500,000. Judi Coyle, a Calvert County resident, is one of those caring people. When asked why she and her family volunteer so much of their time to this cause, she said, "The first time I attended a Relay For Life event, I was with my husband and 11-year-old son Scott, who was being treated for bone cancer. My son was excited to be with other people who understood the world of a cancer patient."

The excitement of that day would not last for the Coyle family. By age 13 their son had lost his fight against cancer. The family was devastated. "That was three years ago," said Coyle. "In gratitude for our incredible son's life and to honor his memory our whole family has become involved in Relay For Life."

Coyle finds hope in remembering the time we had no cure for polio and she believes that if enough people get involved, a cure for cancer will be found in her lifetime.

Relay For Life is an overnight camp out for people of all ages (complete with a moon bounce) usually lasting 12 to 24 hours. In each of the three Southern Maryland counties Relay is held at the track of a local high school. Team members pledge to raise $100 or more prior to the Relay. On the day of the event tents are placed on the infield complete with everything needed to be comfortable throughout the night. At least one member of each team must be on the track throughout the entire Relay.

The Survivor's Lap begins this celebration of hope. Anyone diagnosed with cancer for a minute, a month or many years is a survivor and is given a purple ribbon as a badge of honor. Ann Griffith of La Plata, a cancer survivor, said, "Tears rolled down my face as everyone started clapping, throwing kisses, shouting encouragement and whistling as we walked that first lap."

At dusk comes the lighting of the luminarias, which are small white paper bags into which sand and a votive candle have been placed. A loved one's name is written on each luminaria for a contribution of $5 to $10. Marjorie Lancaster of Charles County reports that 3,000 such lights were purchased in 2004 and circled the track twice.

Entertainment is planned for each hour usually until 2 a.m. One by one, as the night gets a little cooler, and everybody gets a little sleepier, the candles go out. But the spirit of the Relay never goes out.

"Breakfast is served" calls everybody together for one last meal. After the closing ceremony everybody goes home knowing that each person was needed and made a difference. After a well-deserved rest, the planning continues, until we find a cure.

Relay for Life information:
Calvert County: June 16-17
Patuxent High School
Event Chair: JudiCoyle@aol.com

St. Mary's County: June 10-11
Leonardtown High School
Event Chair: KimHowe@aol.com

Charles County: June 9-10
La Plata High School, Event Co-Chairs: DorotheaSmith@aol.com and RonStover@aol.com

Honorary Chairs:
35-year cancer survivors, Muriel Sweatt, Ellen Grimm

The American Cancer Society's phone lines are available every day, all day: 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit the website at www.cancer.org.

The ACS staff representative for Charles County is JangKim@Cancer.org, 202-483-2600.

The ACS staff representative for Calvert and St. Mary's counties is BarbaraLafferty@aol.com, 30l-261-6000.