Relay For Life!

So what happens when you put 350+ people in a smallish area, deprive them of sleep and then ask them to walk for 12 hours? You may be suprised. Friday night, we did just that. The result? We raised over $23,000, had many memorable moments, some tears, lots of laughter, and an overall great time! The Utah State University American Cancer Society Relay For Life was a night to remember! Here is a little bit of what went on.
The day began at exactly 11:23am. FLASHMOB! Crazy dance party by the patio! This got everyone pumped up and excited for the night! We began setting up in the fieldhouse around 3pm. Teams began arriving at 4, then at 5pm, all of the cancer survivors went for a reception in their honor. This was great! My parents came and joined me and we were able to meet other cancer survivors, while enjoying some excellent food. We went back to the Fieldhouse and had opening ceremonies, which included an encore performance of the flashmob dance from earlier. Then was the survivor lap. I felt honored to lead the lap with other amazing people who have fought and won against cancer.

Then the festivities began. we had several bands and performers throughout the night, all of which were really great. We also had a "Relay Idol" competition. Throughout the night there were all kinds of games and contests. At 10pm, we had our Luminaria ceremony. It was very touching as we remembered those who had fought cancer.

The closing ceremonies were at 6:30am, then we cleaned up. I had the joy of cleaning up the ribbons that I had put on the trees around campus after it had been raining. That was fun. I got home around 8:30am, showered then went to sleep. Unfortunately, my body decided that I only needed 3 hours of sleep though. grrrr.



The purple draping off of my banister trying to get the the ribbons to dry before I packed them away.

 Overall, Relay For Life was a success!! We celebrated, remembered and fought back. We raised money, raised awareness, and fostered lasting friendships. Thanks to everyone for making this years' event a success. I hope to see everyone at the Cache County Relay this summer and the USU event next spring.