COLUMN: Why did I relay?


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On the outside, Relay for Life looks like a spirited, high-energy fundraising event promoted on campus to gain as many participants as possible.

The night is filled with games, food, movies, contests and sometimes costumes. A fun time, but not necessarily the first thing on my to-do list.

That was how it looked to me when I participated in my first ever Relay for Life fundraiser in 2012 during my freshman year at Central Michigan University. I went through the motions, played my part and enjoyed myself. There are so many distractions and opportunities to forget why you are really there.

A year later, my dad had been diagnosed with lymphoma, cancer of the throat, and for the first time I was hit with the true magnitude of what we were doing there. For the first time, I really understood our purpose.

All the bells and whistles, the contests and the fun are a means to a much greater end than I ever realized.

Until you, a family member or a close friend hears those three, gut-wrenching words – “you have cancer,” – the event can seem like one big, fundraising party. You get that the money is for a good cause and have an idea that it’ll be put to good use in some research lab or the like, but the true meaning of Relay won’t quite sink in yet.

Once you understand, you can’t believe how many lives are affected by the same thing that’s plaguing your own life or that of a loved one. And you can’t stand the thought that cancer is an experience so many have to go through. More than 13 million in the U.S. alone in 2010, to be exact.

Not until I saw my father and family struggle under the weight of chemotherapy, medical bills and visit upon visit to the hospital did I realize that I relay for the chance that no one else’s father will ever have to.

At that moment, Relay for Life was no longer a fundraiser where I could gain extra community service hours. It was a way for me to fight back on behalf of my family in the only way I could.

Many of those who relay have even more reasons to do so than I do. They’ve been affected more deeply, or more often. No matter what your relation to cancer is, your story is hard, real and raw. And Relay for Life is the place you can take your story and make it worth something.

This year’s Disney-themed relay was no exception. Person after person took the stage to share their own story of how they came to Relay, their personal motivations and the struggles they face. Just being surrounded by those who traveled a similar journey was affirmation enough for me.

Seeing hundreds of people gathered together in solidarity against a common medical monster, supporting one another all night long is one of the most inspiring things I have ever seen, and I didn’t even make it through the whole 24 hours.

I've been told that around 4 a.m., when only the most dedicated remain, is when the real magic happens.

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