Inland Mendocino County

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The morning of June 30th dawned clear and bright and the perfect temperatures. Just another glorious day! Our Relay for Life opening ceremonies included a special ribbon cutting to officially start the event and lead off the first lap, which is always exclusively for cancer survivors. They are our hope and our inspiration, and in this year's case, our celebrities. We also honored our survivors with a catered luncheon later in the day which allowed to show our appreciation for their achievement and gave them a chance to sit down and visit with each other.

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Celebrity Survivor Sightings

Not pictured, but a huge success, was our Celebrity Survivor Sightings. Survivors are given a solid purple T-Shirt, which makes them easily identifiable, and attendees were encouraged to get survivors' signatures on their own T-Shirts. It was great to see all the 'autographs' our 'paparazzi' scored!.

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Road to Recovery race

Another fun activity was our Road to Recovery race. Teams were asked to build a 'car' in which they would race to pick up their 'patient' and race back to the 'doctor's appointment'. Not only was it fun, but it also helped to promote an American Cancer Society service in which volunteers offer their time and vehicles to help cancer patients get to doctor appointments and treatments.

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ACS Cheer Camp

We try to promote all types of physical activities at Relay for Life. ACS Cheer Camp was a resounding success with the kids learning gymnastic techniques, followed by learning and performing a cheer about the Relay for Life. How could you not get excited with pom-poms, megaphones and thunderstix?!

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Physical Activities

Since Relay for Life is a 24-hour event and teams typically camp overnight, we put emphasis on the campout / American picnic feel to the event. We held egg n' spoon and sack races, and plan to add 3-legged races and frisbee tosses next year. We had a pickup volleyball court and played Triple Twister. What is Triple Twister? It's simply the same game you played as a kid, but we made our own sheet with three times the circles out of two-queen sized sheets and spray paint. The kids were addicted to it!

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Special Laps

To help keep things from becoming redundant for the walkers and runners on the track as they are doing their laps, we have Special Laps. Some of which are a Conga line lap, a Hokey Pokey lap (everyone stops and dances the Hokey Pokey along the edge of the track), the Grab-a-Partner lap (no once should have to face cancer alone, so walkers are encouraged to walk hand-in-hand for this one), the Pajama lap (late a night, wearing your jammies) and the early morning Bedhead lap, where campers are asked to roll out of their tents and hit the track. Our winner wasn't technically a walker, as he had slept in the wagon as mom and dad walked, but his 'bedhead' was so classic, we had to crown him our 'Best Bedhead' winner!

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At dusk, the Luminaria ceremony, or Ceremony of HOPE, is held. The ceremony offers everyone at Relay for Life the opportunity to pay tribute to those people whose lives have been touched by cancer. What is a Luminaria? A Luminaria is simply a bag filled with sand with a small candle inside that makes it glow. Each Luminaria bears the name of a person who has battled cancer - whether it be someone who has passed or is a survivor. As the luminarias that fill the outer edge of the track burn into the night, they light the way for the walkers...a path of hope.

This year, we invited everyone onto the track for a Remembrance lap at the end of the ceremony. The music was turned off and all simply walked among the lit lumninarias in silence. Families and friends paused as the saw a luminaria of a loved one. It's a very touching moment to witness and to be a part of.

Both my maternal grandparents had bouts with cancer, my grandmother succumbing to the disease (her luminaria is pictured). I volunteer for me...and for them...and the Luminaria ceremony brings that to heart for me year after year, as it does for so many.

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It was another successful Relay for Life in Mendocino County, raising over $95,000.00 for the American Cancer Society and we celebrate that as a part of our closing ceremonies. Since part of Relay for Life is imparting the information the American Cancer Society provides, we also quiz attendees with questions based on the cancer-related facts read by the emcee throughout the event. Each right answer wins them a small prize.

It is also when we award the teams for their efforts. The Crazy 8's team raised over $13,000 to be the 'Most Money Raised' winners, while the Raley's team won 'Best Costumes' for their pink tie-dye T-shirts, each with a tribute to a person who had suffered from cancer.

The C-Rats, made up of long-distance runners, racked up over 660 laps in 24 hours. That's over 150 miles! And team Let Freedom Ring! ran away with the Team Spirit award for the second consecutive year, winning the Immunity Idol. Teams are awarded points for hosting a Mission Delivery event (designed by the American Cancer Society to promote healthy habits and ACS services), a Game Zone event (wee hours lap games), how they place in the Team Spirit lap and Best Team Name, Costume and Campsite Decorations contests - all to encourage team participation in the event.

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