Cancer Doesn't Sleep. . .

And neither will I on Friday, June 10th.  I am participating in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. The event has three parts. Celebrate {The Survivors Lap - an emotional part - where survivors are invited to walk the lap to celebrate their victory over cancer} Remember {we honor people who have been touched by cancer and remember loved ones lost to the disease during the Luminaria Ceremony. Candles are lit inside bags filled with sand, each one bearing the name of a person touched by cancer, and participants often walk a lap in silence} Fight Back {The last ceremony where everyone is invited to walk and fight back in this ongoing battle against cancer}. The event lasts through the night until 12:00 pm on Saturday and the goal is to have interchangeable team members walking the duration of the event.  There are raffles and fun events going all all NIGHT! 

I feel like almost everyone has been touched in some way by Cancer.  Cancer and I were first acquainted when my grandfather passed away when I was two.  Then later reacquainted when I was in the third grade and my mom was diagnosed with cancer. 

I remember my parents wouldn't tell me much, and by much - I mean anything. But I knew something was really wrong when they allowed me spend an entire week at my friend Samantha's house...they were school nights.  A week later, I visited my mom in the hospital and it was frightening seeing tubes up her nose and her lying there.  By this point, my father assured me everything was going to be okay and I trusted him. And she was. We were lucky.  Some families are not so lucky and their story doesn't end with a perfect bow tie and farewell to cancer.  And this is why I am passionate about this...because there has to be way to end cancer. For everyone.  For good. 

I remember Samantha had wall paper in her bedroom at the time with stars on it...and she told me to pick one and to pray to it, that it would definitely work.  She told me this is how she got things to happen for her when she really, really wanted something.  Guess that wallpaper had my lucky star :) 

Please help with the fight against cancer and the fight to make more birthdays! Any donation, even the smallest amount truly means a lot to me, every dollar counts! You can also light a luminaria in honor, in memory of, or in support of someone special to you that has battled or is battling cancer. Please click the photo or here to donate:  

Don't Stop Believing in a Cure for Cancer {This is the Theme for our event) 

and you better count on us wearing some of these}

Xx,