Relay for Life 2009

This year our family participated in our 8th annual Relay for Life. This is a 24 hour event to raise funds and awareness in the global fight against cancer. Our county celebrated it's 10th year Relaying, and we had a strong turnout, as usual! We didn't do a lot of individual fundraising this year, with the economy the way it is. But, we did an awesome fundraiser at the event with our team- that was a huge success! We always walk a lot at Relay, because the goal is to keep someone from your team walking every minute for the full 24 hours. We learned of a "lap tracker" fundraiser that would have people keep track of how far they were actually walking by placing a bead on a necklace each time they completed a lap. We tracked mileage this way- and the biggest surprise was the enthusiasm the kids had for making their necklaces longer. I was shocked! My little Owen walked just under 4 miles, and Kylee walked 5 1/2 miles. I had no idea my kids could walk so far. My 8 year old nephew walked 13 miles! The children love being a part of Relay every year- and as they get older, they are learning more about why we are out there and why it's important to continue to walk for this cause. Here's some event pictures:

Kylee and Brynn sporting their shades


Our fearless captain, Linda, gives our teammate and SURVIVOR, Shirene, her 20 mile bead. She walked 25 miles by the closing ceremonies!

And, this year, there was some cause for worry at our opening ceremonies for the event. Our town's Lumber Mill burned to the ground. Bombers flew directly overhead shortly after the fire broke out- right next to our event.

This shot is from our site- our "Celebrating Life" Cake looks like we added some special effects in the background.
The mill is our town's largest employer, and they will rebuild... but it's going to be a rough road for a bit to get everyone back on their feet. Luckily, we live in an amazing town- every one really pulls together in times like these. Just like at Relay, where every year the American Cancer Society tell us- "we may be small, but we are mighty!"