Relay for Life

Many of you know that I decided to do Relay for Life this year. I have been to a few, supported others in them and always wanted to do one. This year I had the opportuntiy to join the UF Housing team since Mason works in housing. Mason agreed to be on Ellie duty so I could be on the team. Our team did some great fund raisers including a baked goods sale, various baskets for raffle, Kiss a Pig contest and many more. Our team raised $4442- we were pleased!

It seems one rarely meets a person who hasn't been impacted by cancer and it was amazing to hear why each person on our team was walking- friends, parents, aunts, uncles, Grandparents, etc. Everyone has been touched by this horrible disease. At Relay, you bond over who are walking for and meet some amazing Survivors.

Well, most of you never had the opportunity to meet my Uncle Pat, but many of you have heard about him. He was my Dad's older brother and a very active part of my life. We vacationed every summer with him and my Aunt Mitzi- they didn't have any kids and so we were the only kids in the beach house. They also came to many swim meets, graduations, and lots of stuff in between- they were incredible. During Labor Day weekend my freshman year at Appalachian, he called to tell Tricia and I that they had found a brain tumor. He was sure he could beat it- and he did in many ways. They said 3-6 months- he lasted 14 months. He stayed positive and fought hard but we lost him in October of 1994- just before his 60th birthday. There was standing room only at the church. It was amazing to see how many people he had touched along the way! My family continues to remember and celebrate Uncle Pat- especially on our beach trips or when we sit in hot tubs and think about he and my Dad sitting in the Hot Tub we rented for my high school graduation. In fact, I named Ellie after him- Patrick Elliott was his name and I knew I would have a little girl named Elliott long before Mason came along! Thankfully, Mason agreed! So, I walked for Uncle Pat!

Many of you know my freshman roommate Jen. Just this February her baby girl- Sarah (18 months) was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma. While they have removed the tumor, she is in the middle of chemo to fix what the tumor injured. I can't imagine what Jen, Dave and their entire family are going through. You can read up on Sarah's progress and this amazing family by visiting their blog. Their faith in the Lord is incredible and truly an inspiration. So, I decided to walk in honor of Sarah who has her whole life ahead of her!

Relay isn't all sad, in fact, it is amazing. They begin the walk with a lap of survivors- it was incredible to see children, people my age, and grandparents proudly wearing their purple survivor shirts and slashes- to say the least- it brought me to tears as we cheered them on! Then as night falls, luminaries are lit to remember and honor the victims of cancer- here are the ones I did for Uncle Pat and Sarah.

Then the fun begins with themed laps and music all night. It really was a lot of fun and something I plan to make a tradition! Mason and Ellie came out Friday night to help us get the night started and then showed up early on Saturday morning with donuts. Ellie thought it was great fun! Maybe in a few years she can camp out with us! If you have the opportunity to participate in a Relay for Life- you should do it! The big animal in our hands is our mascot who has to be on the track during the whole Relay- Scrump is his name!