| Hope — The gift of Relay for Life |
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Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 10:05 pm
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A pathway through the Steele County Fairgrounds, lined with bags containing sand and candles, lighted the way last year for hundreds of Steele Countians participating in the annual Relay for Life cancer walk. In the midst of the path, organizers of the event had taken some of the bags, called luminaries and spelled out a single word — HOPE.
Indeed, that is what the annual walk is all about. When life is at its darkest, there remains a light of hope.
On Friday night, teams of walkers will again gather on the fairgrounds for the 16th annual walk. It is an event worth seeing. But even more, it is an event worth participating in because it gives hope. The hope comes in many forms.
Certainly, the Relay for Life is meant as a fund-raiser, with money being raised through the sale of luminaries. The money collected goes for research in the hope of finding a cure for cancer. But the Relay for Life isn’t just about raising money. It’s about taking that money and channeling it to a very important cause — medical research to find a cure for cancer. And it’s also about honoring and remembering those who have had cancer — honoring those who have survived cancer and remembering those who have lost the battle with the terrible disease. More than a tear or two will be shed Friday night as the luminaries were lighted for those who have or have had cancer. Our hearts go out to them.
In addition, the relay provides inspiration to those who attend. On Friday night, honorary chair Jacob Pratt, 16, will share his story about his fight with a brain tumor. Other cancer survivors will lead the Survivors’ Walk — the lap around the track that will initiate the relay for another year.
It’s not just the organizers of the Relay for Life — many of them cancer survivors themselves — who are to be thanked for the work they do and the work they will do. It is also the teams who worked tirelessly — some for months, some since the end of last year’s relay — to make certain this inspiring event does exactly what it set out to do. Now let us hope that their dream may come true and that cancer will be cured.
The Relay for Life is an important, awe-inspiring event that should give us all hope. We encourage you to participate and to give to this great cause.
Owatonna People’s Press editorials are the opinion of the Press editorial board. Other editorials, columns, letters and cartoons appearing on this page are the opinions of the authors and artists and not necessarily the People’s Press.
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