2008 Woodie Awards
Winter Park's Relay for Life: A Great Time for a Great Cause
Brian LeMay
Issue date: 4/14/06 Section: Life & Times
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"It was a special reflection," remarked 20-year-old Rollins sophomore Nick Slattery of Wilbraham, Massachusetts regarding the luminaria lighting. "It's sad to think of all the people that we've lost."
Relay for Life is a team-organized fundraiser for cancer research sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Since its 1986 inauguration in Tacoma, Washington, the event has rapidly spread throughout the country. During the relay, teams consisting of ten to fifteen members must have at least one person walking on the outer track for each of the eighteen hours. Meanwhile, other team members can participate in fun-filled activities such as relay idol on the field inside the track, or sleep inside their campsite tent during downtime. While much of the night is action packed, somber and heart-touching moments such as the survivor lap and luminaria lighting certainly put the true meaning of the event into perspective.
Beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 25th, and concluding at 8 a.m. on Sunday, March 26th, the Winter Park Relay for Life at Winter Park High School's Showalter Field raised nearly $48,000 as a result of participant fundraising. Of the over seventy designated campsites, nearly 20 were occupied by Rollins captained teams. "It was great to see a bunch of my other friends from Rollins there," said freshman Bryan Seaman of Orlando.
With approximately one thousand people in attendance over the course of the night, there was never a dull moment. From watching Indian dancers to socializing with family and friends, attendees were always amused. "The entertainment was great, said 18-year-old freshman Elyse Moore of Canada. "It was actually fun to be there in the cold with all of my friends." In fact, many people were having so much fun that they braved the weather and stayed the entire night.