Hundreds take part in Baldwin's Relay for Life event

It was a night unlike a typical Saturday night. On June 12, a field of tents stretched across the perimeter of the Baldwin High School track, and more than 600 people took part in Baldwin's second annual Relay for Life walk.

The participants represented a diverse range of students, teachers, parents, neighbors, friends and many other concerned community members. They all had one thing in common: Their lives had been affected by cancer. And they were determined to dedicate their time, money and resources to fighting back.

More than 60 teams took part, helping raise funds for the American Cancer Society. In keeping with the society's motto, "Cancer never sleeps," the event lasted 24 hours. Team captains made sure that they had at least one member walking throughout the night, symbolizing the continuous battle against the disease.

The experience was a personal one for everyone involved. Every student on BHS 11th-grader Omosefe Oronsaye's team said he or she knew someone who had battled cancer. One student was walking for a grandparent, another was walking for an aunt and another walked for a teacher.

The walk was just as personal for Darlene and Carol Brunetta, the leaders of Team M+M. The women explained that the letters stood for Mirna and Maria, two community-minded members of their family who had battled cancer and died recently. The Brunettas said that Maria wouldn't have missed the event had she still been alive. Indeed, Maria had walked with the survivors just last year.

Another Baldwin resident, Santo Taravella, brought his family to the event to honor a neighbor who had died of cancer and to support a friend who had survived it. Taravella's daughter, Nicole, helped organize the Baldwin branch event as student co-chair.

The other student co-chair was Jillian Romano, the daughter of Mary Ann Romano, a two-time cancer survivor who shared her account of years of treatments and remissions in a speech to those in attedance. "Cancer is real," she told the audience. "Cancer affects us all, whether directly or indirectly."

Romano spoke about her fears of losing her battle and stressed how fortunate she was to live long enough to attend her daughter's high school graduation this year.