American Cancer Society's Relay for Life at EIU - Stephanie Gloede

On April 15, 2011 I volunteered at Eastern Illinois University’s Relay for Life.  I was able to help members and staff of Colleges Against Cancer help set up for this big event.  The set up only took a few hours, and the rest of the time I was able to help teams participating in Relay for Life register and prepare for the long night ahead of them. 

 This activity reflected concepts learned in FCS 4840 because having cancer can be a challenging and altering aspect of someone’s life that is very disadvantaging to not only the person who has cancer, but also to the family and friends of that person with cancer.  This entire experience of Relay for Life can bring people together in so many ways.  People that had close family members or friend’s die of cancer, are fighting for cancer, or are even survivors of cancer can come together in the celebration, remembrance, and walk to fight back of every type of cancer. 

I was able to network with a lot of different people that came together for this great cause.   I spent a time helping out the Vice President of Colleges Against Cancer, Michelle Roberts who is today a survivor of cancer.  From her, I gained more understanding of this organization as well as the thousands and thousands of people involved in this program as well as American Cancer Society. 

This organization and activity (Relay for Life) has such a huge effect on the community because it brings so many people together to fight for an ongoing battle of sickness and disadvantage of health.  All across the community people came to this activity, raised money through the community, and promoted the Relay for Life as the act of celebrating, remembering, and fighting back. “More than 3.5 million people participate in this life-changing event, which has raised more than $4 billion to fun the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving mission to help people stay well and get well, to find cures and to fight back.  Together the community: celebrates the lives of those who’ve battled cancer, remembers loved ones lost to the disease (at Relay, people who’ve walked alongside those battling cancer can grieve and find healing), and fight back to put an end to the disease.” 

Overall, the experience helping out for this organization was very emotional and touching.  I was able to meet some pretty incredible people who have had cancer and fought back, people that still have cancer and are fighting, and people that have lost loved ones to cancer, such as me.  Last year, I lost my cousin to Ovarian Cancer and it was a huge lost for my family.  Over 10 years ago, I lost my Grandpa to Lung Cancer, and all over the world people are losing loved ones to this horrible epidemic of ‘cancers.’  I feel helping out open up my eyes to the hardship and challenges individuals such as Michelle have to go through to continue on living.  A life never seems so precious until we see it slipping away all around us, taken swiftly right in front of our eyes, or feeling the pain it has on everyone around us. Life is a precious gift, and it’s worth fighting for!