Neighbors celebrate First Lap’s return to Baldwin

For the past year, both Abby and Miguel Melendez embarked on a new mission — to bring back Relay For Life, a cancer charity walk, to Baldwin. This past weekend, the First Lap, part of the relay, returned.

The Relay for Life’s First Lap, which is an event to show commitment to fighting cancer, was held Jan. 6 at noon at Baldwin Middle School. The first Saturday of the year has been known as Relay First Lap since it was started by Joe Gillette in 2018 as a way to renew his commitment to Relay for Life, and to encourage others to join him.

Abby took part in her first Relay lap in 2009 — something she described as “very emotional.” The first lap is for the survivors and the second lap is for the caregivers. Then, at the end of the evening, there is a “luminarial lap” where the track is lit with candles.

Abby and Miguel have spearheaded the relay’s planning meetings at the Baldwin Public Library. Jennifer Scarduzio, the top fundraiser at past Baldwin relay events — and a breast cancer survivor herself — saw firsthand how Abby and Miguel have been a driving force for this upcoming event. Scarduzio was tasked to reach out to local businesses for their support in this relay, while Abby and Miguel reached out to the American Cancer Society.

“So, one person is going to try to get all the entertainment for the event,” Scarduzio said. “And I am trying to get sponsorships.”

Abby and Miguel’s ability to delegate responsibility shows a “leadership role,” Scarduzio said. With the several relays that Abby and Miguel have participated in the past, Scarduzio has faith in their guidance.

“She definitely knows what she’s talking about,” Scarduzio said about Abby. “And she’s just an amazing human being.”

Abby’s determination to bring back Relay for Life in the upcoming summer is rooted in the relationship she has with Miguel.

She describes herself as the  “yin” to Miguel’s “yang,” and that they are “sort of connected at the hip.”