By Marley Seaman
The first annual West Hempstead Relay for Life raised more than $105,000 for the American Cancer Society, which was close to a record for the largest sum raised by a community organizing its first Relay. Teams of five to 20 people walked around the track between 7 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday; at least one member of each team was supposed to be walking at all times. Almost 800 people signed up for the event in the months before the walk, and some 200 more showed up Saturday afternoon.
"Tonight, we are here to honor you, and to celebrate life," Arlene McAuliffe told cancer survivors at a dinner before the walk. McAuliffe was the event's survivor chairperson. "We are all one when it comes to fighting for a cure."
High school seniors Sarah Kupferberg and Camille Emma, members of the West Hempstead High School Key Club, were inspired to start a local Relay for Life after attending one in Locust Valley last year. Both girls have watched family members cope with cancer; Kupferberg's grandmother, Toni Silkes, spoke at the survivor dinner. They worked with school officials, community groups and representatives of the American Cancer Society to organize the event.
The Relay for Life, considered the ACS¹s signature fundraising event, was first run in Tacoma, Washington. In May of 1985, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon and marathon runner, spent 24 hours running the track at the University of Puget Sound for 24 hours, raising $27,000 for the local ACS chapter by charging people $25 to walk or run with him for half an hour at a time. More than 300 people participated in the event Klatt called the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer.
The initial goal in West Hempstead, the students said, was to raise $50,000. By the time the organizers arrived at the high school on Saturday afternoon, the community had already pledged more than $80,000, and $100,000 seemed a realistic possibility. Society representatives said that 92 cents of every donated dollar goes directly to research, education, advocacy and patient and family services.
There were dozens of tents on the field inside the track where participants could relax or sleep when they weren¹t walking. A wide variety of music and activities gave the event a carnival atmosphere. Community groups and volunteers stocked and staffed concessions stands, helping walkers stay fed and energized during the night.
"We wanted to make sure it was as family-oriented as possible," said Kupferberg, explaining that that included making sure the event was entertaining for people who brought young children or were otherwise unable to do much walking.
The relay began with remarks from Emma and Kupferberg, colon cancer survivor Sharon Perry of Franklin Square, and Lisa Muhs and Paula Uhl of West Hempstead. Uhl was Muhs¹s caregiver during her battle with cancer, and said that cancer patients are not the only ones affected by the disease. The lives of their loved ones and caregivers can be turned upside down as they try to help friends through a difficult time.
Former Nassau County Executive Thomas Gulotta and Legislator Vincent Muscarella (R-8th District) also helped kick off the event. Gulotta, who said his mother was a cancer survivor, urged residents to get regular checkups and cancer screenings. He also paid tribute to the effort and sacrifice that got the event off the ground. "Modern medicine is wonderful, and modern technology is great, but the human spirit can create miracles that event medical science cannot accomplish," Gulotta said.
The walking began around 7:30 p.m., to the strains of "I Run for Life" by Melissa Etheridge, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2004. The first lap was reserved for cancer survivors, each wearing a white mesh sash that read "survivor." Young and old, they walked around the track as their friends and neighbors applauded from the grass. Their caregivers, wearing purple sashes, joined them for the second lap.
A ceremony at 9 p.m. paid tribute to those who had died of the disease. It featured a silent memorial lap around the track led by a bagpiper playing "Amazing Grace." Hundreds of green glow sticks were raised in the air as a tribute. Finally, hundreds of candles ‹ each placed in a translucent white bag and weighed down by sand ‹ were lit around the track and on the bleachers. The bags on the bleachers spelled out the word "Hope." The others were placed by the participants, and featured names of people who inspired them to walk.
Specialty laps, including a backward lap and a blindfolded lap, and a series of races, games and contests, were held throughout the night to keep the energy and excitement level high for those who were getting ready to sleep, or just waking up to start their shifts on the track.
Most of the participants were gone by 7 a.m., the official end of the relay. But the organizers were more than satisfied with the results of their months of planning. "I'm really proud of the effort of the whole community," said Emma. "I hope it continues."
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