Relay for Life

     So, approximately one day ago, I was in hour 7 of Relay for Life. The whole night was amazing! It was full of encouraging moments, bonding, laughter, and, of course, walking. Lots of walking.
     We were told the story of a girl who started fighting cancer when she was just one and a half. I guess I had never really thought about cancer hitting that young. The reality of how much cancer affects each and every one of us really hit me, however, during the Luminaria ceremony when they called for those whose parent or grandparent had/has cancer to start walking. Seeing majority of the hundreds of people there stand up was shocking. I never really thought about how many people are affected by cancer. It was mind-blowing to me that all those people had someone close to them who was fighting or had lost the battle to cancer. At the same time, it reminded me that we are not alone in this battle. Whether you have cancer or know someone who does, we are all in this together. The battle doesn't have to be fought alone.
     My favorite part of the experience, however, would definitely have to be the bonding. (Now let's see how many times I can use the word "bonding" in one paragraph.) I got to know so many of my fellow Rockers much better last night. The best bonding moments definitely came when we were working together as the Rock. Even though I hate running with a passion, I have to say that the hourly lap around the track definitely gave us all some good bonding through the crazy ways of getting the lap done. Whether it was partnering up, running while holding hands, or blind follow-the-leader, we had plenty of opportunities for bonding with one another. It was great to spend 12 hours with the coolest people I know. As much fun as the running was, the scavenger hunt definitely has it beat for most fun bonding moment. I can honestly say I have never seen scavenger hunt be mixed with musical chairs. It really provided for some bonding when we had to dig through our stuff (and that of those around us) to find items for our friends who were playing. As the game went on, more Rockers joined together to create one giant support team. We cheered on the players and got our adrenaline racing along with theirs as we struggled to find what they needed. All-in-all it was a fun time for everyone, players and observers (who were kind of playing it, too). My last bonding example would be just walking. When you walk around a track with people, you pretty much have to talk to them. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. In fact, it's awesome. It is a good opportunity for, wait for it, bonding. I guess 12 hours together gives you a lot of time to get to know the people you spend most of your week with.
     I would say it was a pretty successful night. If you are reading this, and you haven't participated in Relay for Life before, I would definitely encourage you to try it next time. You're sore and tired the next day, but that's nothing compared to what cancer patients have to go through. You probably have someone close to you fighting cancer. Do it for them. I did it for Sonja and Mrs. Janzen, for Grandma Boettcher, who I never got to meet, for Grandpa LaBrie, for all my aunts and uncles currently fighting the battle. They are worth it to me. So, tell me, who are you fighting for?