By COOPER BROCK
In May of 1985, Dr. Gordon Klatt walked around a track for 24 hours to raise funds for his patients who had been diagnosed with cancer. Eighty-three miles and $27,000 later, Klatt had walked the first Relay for Life.
Twenty seven years later, Relay for Life is national, with over 5,000 communities across the nation hosting their own 24-hour night-around-the-track. On May 18, Relay for Life for the Conway area will be on the school’s track, with the theme, “Illuminating the way to the Cure.”
“I want it to be a giant, crazy party that pulls the community together, all the while raising funds and awareness,” senior David Ballentine said.
A member of the Relay for Life Conway committee for two years, Ballentine is responsible for organizing clubs and sponsors for the event.
“[Being on the committee] is a lot of hard work, but it is extremely fulfilling,” Ballentine said. “I spend a lot of time talking to leaders around Boone, talking to them about starting up with Relay. It’s an awesome feeling, knowing that you’ve just helped an organization start relaying and fundraising.”
Apart from raising funds for cancer research, Relay is geared towards celebrating those who have beaten the disease, remembering those who have lost their battles with cancer, and encouraging those who are still fighting their battle with the disease.
While participants will be walking the track, food and drink will be sold, and several club games and activities will be held throughout the night. A car smashing will be active on the football field, where people pay to smash an old junkyard car with a myriad of tools; ranging from baseball bats, to sledge hammers. All proceeds from fundraising, concessions and activities will go towards the American Cancer Society to help fund cancer research.
After the sun goes down, a luminaria ceremony is held, where candles are placed inside paper bags decorated to commemorate someone who has been affected by cancer. Participants walk a silent lap taken to honor the memory of those who have been lost, and the tributes are rearranged in the bleachers to spell out “HOPE.”
“Relay has given me the opportunity to connect with the other cancer survivors in the community,” senior Samantha Kinser said. “It has also given me a chance to raise money for a very important cause and organize an event to celebrate the survivor’s success in their battle against cancer.”
Kinser, who initially started participating in Relay through Key Club, was diagnosed with skin cancer in March of 2010. After undergoing three surgeries, one in March, and two in May, Kinser had conquered her illness, and walked the survivor lap.
“Relay means the world to me. A lot of my family and friends have been affected by cancer and participating in Relay is my way of remembering and honoring them and their struggle,” Kinser said.