A relay for the right reasons

Christine Banc, Euclid’s Relay for Life chairperson, announced that our recent relay event raised a total of $62,000. What a terrific total for the third year! Each year Euclid’s Relay for Life gets bigger and better and raises more money for the American Cancer Society’s efforts to fight all types of cancer and to provide support and preventative services to individuals and families. As we begin to plan for next year’s Euclid Relay for Life, the committee members want to be sure to invite all area residents, businesses and their employees, friends and families to join us in this great cause. We would like to extend an invitation to our neighbors in North Collinwood to participate with us in 2012. Contact the local event’s webpage (www.RelayForLife.org/Euclid) to discover more information and to get involved.

The American Cancer Society’s signs and the purple bows were around town announcing the event but if you do not know a relay participant, you may still wonder “What is a Relay for Life?” Contrary to what the name seems to imply (in my mind), participants do not have to be former track team members to get involved (thank goodness!). Committee members used their time, creativity, skill, and lots of commitment as they met months ahead of time to plan for a theme, enroll teams, review logistics, beg for entertainment, create publicity, and spread the mission. Individual teams formed, with some teams sponsoring fundraising events to boost their contributions. Team members spent time and energy in planning and gathering supplies for their site for relay weekend.

Twenty teams representing Euclid area businesses and schools, families and individuals joined together in Euclid for the mid-May Relay for Life’s friendly competitions. Although designated team members took turns walking around Euclid High School’s outdoor track for 18 hours (that’s the relay part), community members were invited to the stadium to participate in the many planned events, including entertainment and opportunities to purchase food, enter the raffles, and jump in the bounce house with all the proceeds added to the teams’ growing totals.

Two ceremonies during the evening made the event memorable: the 6 p.m. opening ceremony, led by Euclid High’s marching band, featured a walking lap around the track by area cancer survivors; and at 10 p.m. all planned activities stopped for the reflective Luminaria Ceremony, where the stadium lights were lowered, candles around the track were lit and names were read to celebrate survivors, remember loved ones who have died, and show support to friends and family members presently battling cancer.

Please consider involvement in Euclid’s 2012 Relay for Life. It brings our community together for a great cause and it’s our opportunity to join forces with the American Cancer Society to celebrate, remember and fight back.