Woah it's been a crazy, crazy, crazy January and there is still a week-ish to go!
Here's what has happened since I finished my lovely 2 week vacation from work (much needed time with family!)
January 7 -
Vinton Relay Kickoff! They have one of the cleverest theme's every "Step Up to the Plate: Strike Out Cancer" and their Kickoff was covered in baseball themed decorations. Their event is a huge community effort, to include students a the high school making the decorations and setting up the room. It was a great night of stories and determination to raise more than they did last year which was a whopping $100,000!
January 8 -
Bedford Relay meeting! This meeting was probably one of the best attended in a while and there were a TON of great ideas shared between veteran Relayers and brand new Relayers! While it wasn't a Kickoff you could definitely feel the excitement to start fundraising and see the wheels turning of new ideas.
January 10 - Lynchburg Area Kickoff! Something like 5 different Relays come together to Kickoff their spring Relay Season and it's awesome! Lots of wonderful guest speakers and videos to get the excitement pumping. They bring in food fundraisers and a Relay store (where I caved and bought a new Relay winter coat) and the community feel that drives those Relays.
January 12 -
Central Harford MD Relay Kickoff! The hubby and I made the 6+ hour trek to Maryland to both celebrate Christmas with my side and to help out with Kickoff. Their Kickoff saw all 3 HarCo Relays come together for a celebration luncheon. The theme for all 3 events this year is "There's No Place Like Hope" and you would have thought you had stepped into the Wizard of Oz it's self when you arrived. Yellow brick road, rainbow colored tables, Emerald City, and the joy of fighting back.
January 15 -
Salem Relay Kickoff! Salem has decided to traverse the globe this year for their theme: Around the World: A Passport to Hope. The committee and I made sure you knew the theme when you walked in the door - each participant was handed their very own passport to be stamped at each table, and a boarding pass for the door prizes. Did you know that Relay is in more than
20 countries?
Those brief descriptions don't do any of those Kickoffs or meetings justice, they were truly fantastic! Also, way more happened in January but those were definitely the highlights.
Don't forget you can always join the fight against cancer by participating in your local Relay For Life event, visit
www.RelayForLife.org and find your event! And help us save more lives than ever before!
--
Until We Find a Cure
I've shared my reasons to Relay before but for my family our reasons hit close to home. In January 2001 my dad lost his father to lung cancer and in November 2009 my mom lost her mother to breast & uterine cancers. We Relay has a whole family in their memories because we all know what it's like to lose a parent or grandparent and none of us want anyone else to experience that lose. We also Relay in memory of our 4 legged family member - Gracie - who we lost in April to cancer.
