Relay for Life fights back against cancer

When faced with the enormous challenge of a disease like cancer, many may question how much of a difference one person, especially one still in high school, can make in the exhausting fight for a cure. But when one person joins another, and another, and so on, in the climb, the mountain slowly becomes more and more conquerable.

This past Saturday, Feb. 13 to Sunday, Feb. 14, 220 Homestead students came together to help support the fight against cancer. Relay for Life, an all-night marathon of walking, talking, eating, playing games and battling cancer, takes place at Homestead in the field house every year, usually in the late winter or early spring.

To keep students engaged and entertained during the night, the committee planned several events and games very similar to in past years. Kelsey Jacobus, senior, said, “We did all the ceremonies we usually do and a lot of the same activities: hypnotist, boy toy auction, wing eating contest and dodgeball tournament.”

Through these activities, as well as other donations, Homestead raised over $27,000 for the cause this year. “Though our participant numbers were low we still managed to raise a ton of money and were very successful in that aspect,” Jacobus said.

According to Jacobus, the mission of Relay for Life is to spread awareness and raise funds for the American Cancer Society to fight cancer. “I think that this year’s event went over very well; even though there were not as many people, people seemed to have fun and enjoy it.”

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Katelyn Meer

Emma Contardi, junior, and Drew Wagner, sophomore, are just some of the cancer survivors who lead the first lap of Relay for Life 2016. "Being honored at Relay for Life is a big deal to me. It makes me feel so appreciated that so many people are participating in something so near and dear to my heart," Contardi said.

Relay has a rich history, the first known event happening 30 years ago and starting with one person.

According to the American Cancer Society, “In May 1985, Dr. Gordy Klatt walked and ran for 24 hours around a track in Tacoma, Washington, ultimately raising $27,000 to help the American Cancer Society fight the nation’s biggest health concern: cancer. A year later, 340 supporters joined the overnight event.” Since 1985, Relay has expanded across the world into high schools, college campuses and communities in general, raising almost $5 billion to fight cancer.

While every Relay event is different depending on where it is held, some common events that take place during the night are the Survivors’ Lap, which honors those who fought the battle against cancer and won, the Luminaria Ceremony, which remembers those who lost their lives and honors those who are still fighting and have fought in the past, and the Fight Back Ceremony, which calls on people to join the fight against cancer and inspires participants to take action.