Homestead students participated in Relay for Life, an event planned by students at many high schools to raise money for the American Cancer Society. This year was Homestead’s eighth year hosting the event and on March 24, 2018, almost $17,000 was raised to help fund the search for the cure for cancer. 

Grace Looker, senior and head chair of the Relay committee, planned the majority of the event for the 2017-2018 school year. “It was awesome to see how everything came together for such an amazing cause,” Looker said.

At Relay for life, participants take turns walking around the track to signify how cancer never sleeps. In addition to someone always walking around the track, a series of enjoyable activities are offered at the event for students to participate in such as food eating contests, musical chairs, a hypnotist show and a basketball and dodgeball tournament among many others. 

According to several students that participated in the event, one of the most memorable parts of the night was the luminaria ceremony where students decorate bags to showcase loved ones suffering from cancer or who have passed away as a result of the disease. Mr. Bartscher, dad of Myah Bartscher, junior, briefly spoke about his wife’s cancer and Natalie Ceelen, senior, wrote and presented a speech to everyone regarding her brother’s current struggle with cancer as well as the impact it has had on her family.

“It was an honor to stand in front of my peers and deliver a speech about something that is dear to my heart and difficult to talk about,” Ceelen said.

Julian Stechschulte, senior and leader of the outreach committee, has participated in Relay for Life at Homestead all four years of high school. “Relay for life is something I’ve loved being part of during high school and I hope this event continues to occur at Homestead for many years to come,” Stechschulte said.

At last year’s Relay for Life event, students were able to sign up to participate in something new: cutting their hair to donate it to the American Cancer Society. This carried on to this year’s event where many students donated eight or more inches of their hair to give to the cause. Two students: Maria Ziegelbauer, sophomore, and Emma Rachum, senior, decided to shave off all of their hair to donate it to cancer.

“Cancer affects all of us and this year I wanted to donate my hair to those that need it more than I do,” Rachum said.

Ziegelbauer smiled the entire time her hair was being shaved off at the event. “Go big or go home,” Ziegelbauer said.

Gallery • 10 Photos

Kate Price

The beginning of the event began with a lap around the track for cancer survivors.