Walking For A Cure

On June 25th and 26th from 6pm-noon the next day our family proudly participated in our first Relay For Life. We had been fund raising and looking forward to this event for months but I had no idea the incredible experience we would have there together.
It was amazing being at Relay with our mom, celebrating her journey with cancer and remembering our many other friends and family members who have lost their fight with cancer. It was a very powerful experience sharing the walk with so many people in our community that are going through the very same challenges, fears and triumphs that our family has. Cancer does touch everyone differently, yet it touches us all THE SAME in the fact that it changes our lives forever and puts the same HOPE in our hearts that we will one day have a CURE!
Our team-Bubbles, was recognized for having the most survivors and was given the honor of carrying the American Cancer Society Relay Banner for the first survivor lap. All the survivors were recognized by wearing purple T-Shirts (the color purple representing all different types of cancers). My mom carried that banner with pride, a purple bandana on her head and a smile from ear to ear. I must have taken a million pictures, but even without the pictures I will never forget that moment!

It was important for us to recognize at Relay the grandparents that we have lost in our family to cancer. My mom's mother Joan Leonard to colon cancer, my mom's father George Leonard to lung cancer and my Dad's father Robert Smith to lymphoma. It is amazing the advancements the medical world has made in cancer treatments since our loved ones lost their battle. And because of the American Cancer Society, new options for treatments are being discovered everyday.

Relay day was just a small way our family could begin to show how thankful we are for the AMAZING, INCREDIBLE and OUTSTANDING research the American Cancer Society has done to perfect new treatments for fighting cancer. Our Mom is living and breathing PROOF that we are getting so much closer to beating cancer forever. The clinical trial that she is underoing is trying to prove the effectiveness of a well researched drug called Avastin, in successfully fighting Glioblastoma brain tumors. She is currently the only patient in Whatcom County qualifying to participate in this study and has had amazing results so far.
Lighting the luminaria bags right when it got dark was my favorite part of the event. It was such an overwhelming experience walking around the track and seeing just some of the many lives have been touched by cancer in our community. And whether the bag represented an individual currently battling, in remission, or in memory of, each had been made by the loving hands of someone in support of that person and each bag had contributed a $5 donation towards cancer research.
My Aunt Barb was our team captain this year and was a HUGE part of our team's success in getting organized for our first year. She was my all night walking partner and combined we walked around 30 miles. Here we are at 5am dressed up for the Patriotic Theme laps, representing Skye and our troops with pride! Our first Relay For Life was a HUGE SUCCESS and we can't wait to participate again next year. THANK YOU to everyone who made donations in support of our team, we greatly appreciate it! We would love to add some more enthusiastic team members for next year and are already brainstorming new fundraising ideas. Every lap we walk together and every penny we raise is getting us one step closer towards finding A CURE!