Relay For Life’s return a true miracle
This column on the 24th annual Relay For Life of Greater Attleboro was
published on Monday, June 20 in The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro, MA. Every year,
the event brings together people to raise money for the American Cancer Society
--- and this year’s event was particularly meaningful, as it was the first full
event held since 2019, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
As of this posting, close to $75,000 had been raised, and that amount may climb
over the next few weeks.
Here's the link to the column, as it appears on the newspaper’s website: https://www.thesunchronicle.
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I’ve often described the Relay For Life of Greater Attleboro, a team fundraiser
for the American Cancer Society, as being composed of several acts of kindness and
inspiration that, taken together, create a miracle --- and that never rang
truer than the just-concluded 24th annual edition held at the Norton
Middle School.
To understand the depth of what was accomplished this past weekend, when more than
$72,000 was raised, a little recent history is in order, starting in
February of 2020, before the pandemic changed the world.
The relay was full of optimism then, as an art exhibit titled “Luminaria” at
the Attleboro Arts Museum drew hundreds of people and helped spread the word
about the relay.
Then the roof caved in, as the pandemic made in-person charitable events such
as the relay impossible to hold. The organizing committee pivoted to an
all-virtual relay that June, followed by two smaller events in 2021.
Those gave organizers hope that they’d be able to return to normal this year,
and the nearly 30 teams and about 300 participants and accompanying family
members and friends who gathered on a field behind the middle school helped the
relay reach that goal by doing what relays do best: remember and embrace loved
ones affected by cancer while renewing hope that a cancer cure will be found.
Throughout the relay, as people walked along a field lined by luminaries ---
candles lit by glow sticks in honor of cancer survivors and in memory of
victims --- there were as many stories as people in attendance. All were personal
and deeply moving and could be considered mini miracles. Here are just some of
them:
* About 50 cancer survivors led the opening lap of the relay, and were served a
complimentary dinner by Waters Church of North Attleboro. The survivors, who
are at the heart of the relay, were loudly cheered as they circled the field.
* The Attleboro Arts Museum had formed a team in 2020, but COVID-19 stole the
members’ chance to do any communal laps that year. So there was a palpable joy
in their steps, as they circled the field Friday night.
Attleboro Public Library Director Amy Rhilinger walked for her father Tim, who
died of lung cancer.
Museum Executive Director Mim Fawcett did laps for her parents, both of whom
died of cancers, her mother from breast cancer and her father from lymphoma.
Kerry St. Pierre, the museum’s office manager, walked for all four grandparents
who died of cancer and for her sister Kristin Hoffman, a cancer survivor.
Abby Rovaldi, the museum’s programs coordinator, walked for her uncle Gene, who
died of leukemia, an aunt who died of pancreatic cancer and a cousin who died
of breast cancer.
Tom and Deb Maher of Rehoboth walked to celebrate Deb being a 19-year survivor
of thyroid cancer.
* Megan DeMoura, the captain of Team Lady Bugs and a member of the relay’s
organizing committee, was participating in her 10th relay, the
previous nine in Taunton. “We relay for our many grandparents, friends and
family” members, she said.
* John Yoder of Medway, not only volunteered on Friday afternoon to help get
the field ready for the opening ceremony after the grounds were soaked by a
mid-afternoon thunderstorm, but he was still doing laps Saturday morning.
A member of the Bam Bam’s Beauties team, Yoder is a survivor of skin and prostate
cancers. He said he’s been doing relays for more than 30 years. “I just felt
like it was a good thing to do to support my friends and relatives,” he said.
* Two poets who were a part of the relay’s second Slam Cancer event in May gave
inspiring speeches.
Tara Lines of Wrentham spoke during the opening ceremony about being a
childhood leukemia survivor and how the treatments she received then affected
her later in life.
Allan Fournier of North Attleboro, a member with his wife Margaret of the
Walking With Grace team, during the luminaria ceremony read “Unfinished Business: Overtime,” an original poem that invokes the
indomitable spirit that’s personified by cancer survivors.
* That ceremony felt more powerful than ever after a three-year absence. Led by
the solemn tunes of bagpipers from the Colonial Pipers Bagpipe Band, the
walkers paid silent tribute to their loved ones.
But of all the miracles during the relay, perhaps the most notable was the fact
that in this world still afflicted by a pandemic, people of all ages,
backgrounds, religions and races were able to put aside their differences and
unite for 16 hours without the need for masks or social distancing in a common
purpose: contribute to the effort to eradicate cancer.
In this era of strife and deep division, that was the biggest miracle of all.
Larry Kessler is a retired Sun Chronicle local news editor
and can be reached at larrythek65@gmail.com. He blogs at larrytheklineup.blogspot.com
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