Relay for Life 2010

(a close up of Mom's survivor Metal)

To sum up Relay for Life 2010 in 1 sentance; Dr. Gordy Klatt would be proud.

Dr. Gordy Klatt started Relay for Life 26 years ago by asking people to support him in his fundrasing efforts for the American Cancer Society and then by walking for 24 hours at a track in Tacoma, Washington.

The Hope Corps had a member of our team on the track the entire Relay; and we raised $3,628 for cancer research for the American Cancer Society. We were one of 3 teams (maybe) who had someone on the track for the entire event!

On with the photos;

Here's Mom infront of our campsite! We did not win the "best decorated" award, but we were the best decorated campsite there, I don't care what anyone says.

Here's me and my Momma at Relay!

And here's our AMAZING bake sale - we raised $97 between selling our goodies and selling a few sets of lap beads to walkers. We initally set up to do lap beads for our team alone, but then people wanted to buy them... so we sold them! We might have to consider this as a fundraiser next year; It was much less labor intensive than the bake sale was!

After a very legnthy opening ceremony, Mom, Brenda, Kathy and I took the track to walk the survivor lap together. It was a pretty emotional lap, a couple of us were fighting back tears and a couple of us let them flow. A year ago when Mom was diagnosed she set the goal to walk in the survivor lap at Relay with me the following year. It was so great to walk beside her, it was the reward for all that she (we) has accomplished this year!

These two are my favorite pictures of the day... One from infront and one from behind, walking hand in hand with my Mom and Aunts during the survivor lap is not something I will forget soon.

The more laps we walked, the less the tears flowed.

After the survivor lap I stayed on the track for a mile or so till someone else was ready for the take over.

After Mom's first Mile I took a few photos of her in her beautiful Purple shirt and her amazing survivor metal! I love that they celebrate survivors in that way!

We weren't really sure she would be able to rock the first lap... but she ended up walking 5 miles over Saturday and Sunday!

Here's Brenda and Kathy taking over walking. They were getting their lap beads ready to go!

And then Becky and Kerri.

And Jerry, Kat, Tim and MaryJane.

My Boss stopped by for a lap and brought cookies for the bake sale too! I have such an amazing team of support out here, I couldn't ask for more!

Mom rested her feet a little bit, and of course enjoyed the sunshine a little bit! It was her vacation after all!

The Bodle Gals stopped by in the evening so we could all eat some dinner while they walked 4 miles or so - relief walkers are life savers!

Mom and Kathy turned on all the electric candles for the luminaria lap.

This is Mom's Luminaria.

We had over 50 Luminaria for our team!

The Luminaria actually were weighed down by cans of food that we donated to the White Center food bank. Highline Relay donated over 600 cans of food!

Then the Bodle gals turned the reigns back over to us for the evening!

We did attend the luminaria ceremony... LONGEST CEREMONY EVER.

I think my imput will be best used to keep all the ceremonial things "short and sweet"

But all the luminarias remembering our loved ones were so pretty lined up around the track.

As tradition... They spelt out HOPE and CURE in luminaria bags.

I didn't get a good picture of Megan and I walking together, but we took over for the next couple hours till Alex and Lindsey showed up and Tacy woke up. They took over from 2am till about 5am - relief walkers save your life!

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Then I took over for the next two hours or so and pounded out some laps.

Brenda, Kathy and Mom walked the last few laps with me... here I am... finishing the last lap of mile #20! My body hurts so bad, but I didn't have any blisters this year!

And here's Mom finishing her last lap of Mile #5... She rocked it!

Brenda walked 10... Kathy walked 11.... We had some dedicated walkers this year for sure!

They decided it was a pretty great way to celebrate their birthdays!

Mom celebrated her birthday with Brenda (her birthday too) by walking in Relay and then that evening we went out to dinner at the Space Needle!

My heart is swelled as much as my ankles are... with pride though, not fluid.

I am exhausted, but happy and ready to go again next year where my Mom will walk in the survivor lap again!

Because of Relay we have research because of research we have chemo, because of chemo we have loved ones who beat this nasty disease!

All my Love, Abby