“Relay for Life” comes to Orcas

Published 7:00 pm Thursday, July 10, 2008

The American Cancer Society’s annual community fundraiser, “Relay for Life®” comes to Orcas Island July 19-20, thanks to local organizers who persisted in getting Orcas Island’s own event.

For several years, many Orcas Islanders have traveled to San Juan Island to participate in their “Relay,” but they always felt they could get great support by having Orcas’ own Relay. “Orcas has enough fabulous human beings and we should have our own event,” said local organizer Valerie Moriarity.

The Relay For Life® of Orcas Island will take place at the High School Field beginning at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. Teams will have at least one member on the track at all times until 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 20. Different themes will be played out throughout the 24-hour Relay, such as the 50s, Hawaii, the 70s, Country, and “The Relay Man” where those males with the desire to wear skirts, boas, high heels and other feminine accoutrements will be honored.

Most of the time is spent visiting with people, but “you’re always aware of why we’re walking – there are many touching and powerful moments,” says Islanders Bank team member Teri Alent.

Already there are 11 teams signed up, and ten days remain for islanders to form a team, or join an already-formed team. To learn more about joining, go to events.cancer.org/rflorcasislandwa.

Daneille McCue, team captain for the Islanders Bank Believers, has been on Orcas Island since last October, and says that past experience has shown her the Relay for Life is a good way to get involved.

Alent says, “It took a couple of years to convince the [American Cancer Society] that we could pull it off. Valerie Moriarity deserves a lot of credit.” Alent has participated in the San Juan Island Relay in years past and says, “It’s easy enough to convince people to play with us – how can you not play for such a good cause?

“Anyone can walk with us, and we invite people who can’t find a team.” The cost is $10 registration on the site, events.cancer.org/rflorcasislandwa.

Once registered, the team commits to a fundraising goal ($100 is suggested), and then the fun and fundraising begin. Local teams have held bake sales, mug sales, yard sales, gift baskets, barbecues and paid for a “pass” to wear jeans to work as fundraisers. The Islanders Believers set a goal of $1,500, and McCue says, “We’re over it.”

Other island teams are the Headset Hot-Shots, from Frontline Call Center, The Extras from the Sounder, The Hosers from the Fire Department, the Dream Team from Rosario and the Rays of Hope from Ray’s Pharmacy.

Last-minute registration on July 19 is also okay, although, as Alent says, “The Relay is clearly a fundraiser for the Cancer Society, and planning ahead can add more to that.”

The first lap following the opening ceremony is completed by cancer survivors. “Many of them you know, and for them, knowing that they’re not alone, moves your heart like nothing else,” says Moriarity. Then, everybody walks a lap. Throughout the 24 hours, each team always has someone on the track.

As dark settles in for the night, the Luminaria Ceremony of Hope is observed. The night is brightened by the glow of lighted bags called luminaria, each of which has a special meaning. Some luminaria celebrate the survivorship of people who have battled cancer and lived to tell the tale. Many commemorate the lives of those who have been lost to this disease. All represent a person who has been profoundly affected by cancer and the family and friends who continue to be touched by that experience.

Those who would like to honor someone with a luminaria at the Relay For Life Ceremony of Hope can go to the website and click on Luminaria. At the Relay, the bags are sold for $5, and can be individually decorated to acknowledge survivors and fighters and those in memoriam. Volunteers fill the white paper bags with sand and a candle and arrange them on the track. The Rosario Dream Team is organizing the luminarias, and arranging for stickers, crayons and other decorations for the bags.

Staying up all night is not as much of a problem as one might think, says Alent. “You get pumped up and energized and you just stay up and do it.”

Moriarity says, “So many things go through your mind when you’re part of such an amazing event in your own community.” She cites statistics showing that San Juan County has the second-highest rate of cancer among Washington State counties.

Each team sets up with tents or canopies in the center of the field so that they can heckle and encourage those on the track.

Moriarity has arranged for live musicians to perform through Leslie Seaman, and there will probably be a double header “Midnight Movie” screening. Merchants donate food and snacks, and home-made ice cream will be cranked fresh on the field, so “everybody gets a taste,” promised Moriarity.

There will be a wake-up yoga session and a sunrise ceremony, followed by a pancake breakfast for Relayers provided by the Orcas Island Fire Department Volunteers Association.

And through the night, the dawn and the next day, Relay teams will just walk, at no particular speed; there’s no competition.

The Island Girls will be a team in the relay, as they prepare for the 3-Day Susan J. Komen race for the cure in September. “They wanted to be sure that people know nobody’s excluding anybody else in fundraising for the fight against cancer,” said Alent.

Involvement in the Relay “will help the American Cancer Society work toward a mission of eliminating cancer as major health issue and will support much-needed services in your community.

“It’s a time and place where people come to celebrate those who have survived cancer, remember those we’ve lost, and fight back against a disease that touches too many lives,” according to the American Cancer Society’s website.