Taking Action to Finish the Fight: 100 Days of Relay

One year ago today, I had no idea that two weeks from then I would lose a night of sleep as the reality that I had a month left with hair set in.  One year ago today, I was completely unaware that the experience of shaving my head to raise money for childhood cancer research would provide me with insight and knowledge and an immediate connection to the volunteers I work with today as a staff partner for Relay For Life events for the American Cancer Society.  One year ago today, I didn’t know a lot about the largest movement to end cancer, Relay For Life, or the difference between the American Cancer Society and the other cancer organizations out there.  But, from the moment I committed to shaving my head for the cause until now, a series of events has led me down a path of action, and I know a lot more than I knew one year ago today.

In late January, I stood in front of a mirror on a Saturday night getting ready for a bar crawl in memory of my friend, Hillary, and stared at myself wondering what to do with the very short mop on my head (nine months of hair growth had not panned out to be as much as I had predicted back in April). And then I lost it as I only wished that Hillary’s hair could have made it to the awkward stage along with mine.  One year ago today, I had no idea that my friend Hillary, who had been battling melanoma with a smile on her face for more than eight years, would lose her battle two days before her 26th Birthday in October of 2012. 

Everyone who has lost someone they love to cancer has something in common—a feeling of utter helplessness—of being up against an unbeatable Goliath.  Of course, our reactions to this feeling of helplessness all vary.  I recently read a heartbreaking Facebook post from a man whose wife is in the hospital in critical condition as she is not responding well to her most recent cancer treatments.  This man was publicly asking God, whom he admittedly had not believed in before, to spare the life of his wife, the kindest woman he had ever known.  When my Nana was diagnosed with lung cancer, my mom and her sisters dealt with this feeling by caring for her themselves (a blessing to be able to do this, I know), and taking her to do things she had never done. In the Fall, a friend of a friend had just begun treatment for quickly advancing breast cancer and her friends and family responded by throwing together a fundraiser with more than 400 attendees—rallying around her and lifting her spirits with love and support before she journeyed on.  (She just finished her final treatment in the last weeks.)

And then there are the walkers…

I recently spoke with a woman, a cancer survivor, actually, who said, “Walking for cancer.  I don’t really understand it.  Why not volunteer for the elderly, or do something else?  I don’t understand the walking.”  (She was not kidding.)

I’ll tell you why: People walk to take action in numbers. They walk to not feel helpless. People walk because taking action means that we are NOT helpless.  People walk because they choose to FIGHT BACK to help others.  And one in every 100 Americans chooses to take action and FIGHT BACK through the largest movement to end cancer, Relay For Life. 

And on Saturday, January 29th, when I stared at my crazy hair and wished Hillary was here with some crazy hair of her own, I decided that I was going to take action myself and not just work on planning Relays, but I was going to join this fight and RELAY BIGGER than ever.  I decided I was not going to wait to Relay, but I was going to Relay every day.  And, rain or shine, I began taking daily action and walking to the site of the Relay For Life of Plymouth (about a mile from my house), Relaying on the track, and then walking home. 

This year, the tag line for Relay For Life is “Dream Big. Hope Big. Relay Big. WHY NOT?”  And that’s exactly what I’m doing.  As the American Cancer Society prepares to turn 100 years old this May, and the Relay For Life of Plymouth is just about 100 days away, I am taking to the track every day for the next 100 days, because, well, WHY NOT?  I am DREAMING BIG, HOPING BIG, and RELAYING BIG because I am NOT helpless. 

... And YOU are NOT helpless...

Join me and take action to finish this fight.  Find a Relay For Life event in your community, join me on the track any day, make a donation to my campaign, or join my Relay here in Plymouth. Because, well, WHY NOT?

*Note: This blog post is the opinion of Abigail Stonerook and not the opinion of the American Cancer Society.