The Fight Isn’t Over: Relay for Life Teams Still Walking for a Cure

The 2015 Charlotte County Relay for Life was held last weekend on the sprawling front and side lawns of the Southside Virginia Community College in Keysville. Saturday’s weather, with its strong, bright sun mixed with white cotton candy clouds and forgiving breeze, prompted a good-sized turnout for the event, which lasted from midday until just after the sun went down.

To see more photos of the Relay for Life Event, go to http://southsidemessengerphotos.shutterfly.com!

The Relay for Life is a fund raising program that has become a major supporter of the American Cancer Society. The Relay’s humble beginnings go all the way back to 1985 and yes, one person. Dr. Gordy Klatt, in an effort to raise funds for cancer research, walked and ran for 24 hours at a track in Tacoma, Washington. He raised $27,000 that first year. One year later he had 340 supporters walking with him. According to the American Cancer Society website, the Relay for Life has raised somewhere in the vicinity of $5,000,000,000 to fight cancer.

The Opening Ceremonies included a presentation of the colors by the Charlotte County American Legion followed by the singing of The Star Spangled Banner by Lisa Walker. Afterwards, Reverend Ted Smith of Ash Camp Baptist Church took the podium and delivered his own uniquely personal story of hope. Reverend Smith is a four-time cancer survivor. He also has four immediate family members that either have or have had cancer in his lifetime. He remains undaunted. Judging from the applause, his message of enduring faith had quite an impact on those in attendance.  A volunteer that heard the Reverend’s message turned to this Southside Messenger reporter and said simply, “He understands…”

After the opening ceremonies Mrs. Bonnie Gilliam called for the Relay teams to come to the track for the first lap and the first band was introduced. Fear One donned their instruments and despite a nagging problem with the electrical supply, played the first songs of this year’s Relay for Life. From the call for the first lap until the end of the relay, there was someone circling the track.

The activities for the day were scheduled so that there was time to break for a few minutes in between them, but they were steady all day long. Children’s painted faces whizzed by on little feet that seemed to skim over the grass as they ran laps with their friends, a wake of giggles and laughter floating past on the breeze behind them, trying, it seemed, to catch up. Survivors steadily made laps in honor of their own fight, or perhaps for another survivor that could not make the relay. There was a full ring of team tents surrounding the track. The tents did provide plenty of protection in the form of shade for the walkers as the afternoon temperatures approached 90 degrees.

The evening’s activities included a hula hoop contest and a crowd favorite at any event, frozen chicken bowling. Music for the evening’s activities was provided by the bluegrass favorite Stoney Ridge. The Relay concluded with the always touching Luminaria, a ceremony that has become synonymous with the event. The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life has events scheduled for all summer long. For more information on volunteering at an event, or to join as a walker on a team, go to www.relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/relayforlife/