Walking for a cure

WESTFALL — The fight to conquer cancer was advanced many steps at Delaware Valley High School last weekend. The 14th annual American Cancer Society 24-hour Relay for Life, a non-profit fundraising event for cancer research, was held June 2 and 3. This year’s relay raised over $83,000 for the Pike County branch of the Cancer Society. The annual DVHS Relay for Life spans a day and a night, bringing together community members, local businesses, schools, families, friends and cancer survivors. Participants were organized into teams of up to 15, and arrived with tents, sleeping bags, and the intent to play “Spirit” games all day and stay up all night, keeping one team member walking around the track continuously to symbolize a ceaseless fight against cancer. Some 44 teams steadily meandered onto the camping field as early as 8 a.m. Saturday to set up, register, and prepare for the 24-hour marathon. The opening lap ceremony started at 10:30 a.m., as each team took to the track to walk their first of many circuits. Those who didn’t stay on the track weren’t unoccupied for long, as games and activities abounded. An entertainment stage was set up near the concession stand, where local bands including Congressional Speech, Deep Release, 4 Door Submarine, Blue London Band, and Honor Your Hero performed. Spirit activities, such as a water balloon toss, crazy hat contest, tug-o-war, kick ball game, sponge relay, capture the chicken and balloon relay, among others, were held throughout the event. The winner of each game received spirit points for their team. There was also a campsite-wide scavenger hunt, which many eagerly took part in. Community members both young and old took part, despite humid weather temperatures in the low 90’s. Several local businesses set up shop around the Delaware Valley campus, with all proceeds going to the relay. The Lemon Tree offered $5 haircuts and the Bella Vista Holiday Spa of Westtown, N.Y., gave $5 massages. As in recent years, inclement weather brought the Relay for Life to a temporary halt around midday. A thunderstorm, lasting over an hour, forced campers to retreat into the Delaware Valley Elementary School gym to wait out the rain. After the showers slowed to a light drizzle, everyone was back on the track and games resumed. As darkness approached, the always powerfully moving luminaria ceremony began. Bagged candles lined the perimeter of the track to remember loved ones lost to cancer, and to honor those who survived. Cancer survivors took a lap to quiet applause, and lit the candles of the other relayers, who waited along the outside of the track. As everyone lit a luminaria, a slide-show presentation began, with names of those who both survived and succumbed to cancer projected on a giant screen. There was apparent emotion as friends and family members gathered by the dedicated luminaria, illuminated by the glowing outline of the candles, to pay their respects. By 9 p.m., most relayers exited the track, but not to retire. Contests and games were resumed, with the luminarias burning through the night to symbolize a kind of beacon of hope. At 11 p.m., all unregistered persons had to leave for the night, returning at 6 the following morning. A scheduled quiet time took place from 2 until 6 a.m. for those in need of relaxation after a long day of activity and dodging raindrops. Senior co-chairperson Alex Sorochinski was very pleased with the event in its entirety. “This year’s Relay for Life at Delaware Valley was by far the best of all they years I’ve been involved. This year’s participants had an obvious devotion to the mission of the American Cancer Society, and their hard work fundraising for the Relay helped us to exceed our goal by 20,000 dollars. Each and every person who volunteered to the Relay went above and beyond my expectations to ensure that every part of the Relay was awesome.”