Around 10:00pm the luminaria candles are lit. They are in white bags, lining the inside of the track. Some of the bags are decorated. Some just have a name. Some are "in honor of"...some are "in memory of"...and some are "in support of" someone still fighting. (The bags in the picture above are for each of my brothers.) As the ceremony begins, a hush falls over the whole field. You can hear people quietly talking, and the sound of people continually walking around the track. John and I weren't scheduled to walk until 5 a.m. the next morning, so we went home for a short night.
We were back bright and early to for our turn, from 5 to 6:30. It was raining for awhile. Wisely, we had brought rain gear. (In the Pacific Northwest there is no such thing as bad weather...only inappropriate clothing) We heard that the night had been a bit wild, with wind and rain, so I guess we were lucky. When it was time to hand off the baton, we did a little more walking...to a near-by Starbucks. There was a team from the marines (ooo-rah) who were making authentic dog tags, so John got me one. The inscription says "Terri and John Eggers 6/7/8 Relay for Life Oak Harbor WI (Whidbey Island, not Wisconsin). We stayed for the rest of the day, cheering, supporting and experiencing. I walked again from noon to 1. John was conveniently at the hospital. Just before the closing ceremonies, the booths quickly disappeared. There were people walking right up until the last minute. Incredible. Our team leader got the award for most enthusiastic. By closing ceremonies, Relay for Life North Whidbey had deposited $176,400 in the bank. Just $8,600 short of the $185,000 goal for this year - and the deadline isn't until August 31. Thank you for your donations!
Life is so unpredictable and precious. Two years ago, Ted was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, M3. Two emotional, stressful and painful months later, he passed away. Which brings back to my memory a previous blog...CANCER SUCKS! I have a new appreciation for organizations like the American Cancer Society that is working towards better screening, better treatments, longer survival times, and hopefully ultimately a cure. Wouldn't that be awesome.
