The 2012 Clarkston Relay for Life will be filled with 24 hours of remembrance, fun, and fund raising, May 19-20 at Clarkston Junior High School, 6595 Waldon Road.
Morgan Addis, senior at Clarkston High School and Relay planning committee member, helped make it that way.
“It’s a life changing event, especially the luminaria,” said Addis, member of the committee for three years.
At dusk, they line the track with candle-lit luminaria, decorated in honor of those affected by cancer.
“We do one for my grandpa who had lung cancer, an aunt, my grandpa who just passed away from cancer,” Addis said. “It’s kind of cool to remember them ? they remind us why we’re there, why we work so hard on the Relay.”
She has participated in the walk five times.
“When I first started, I met Nicole, a little girl with leukemia. It was the biggest thing for her,” Addis said. “I do it for people like her.”
Teams set up camp at the track, with at least one member on the track the entire time. Events include speakers, music, dress-up-as-a-superhero contest, and a pudding-eating contest.
“The kids love that,” she said.
A survivors’ lap kicks off the Relay, which starts at 10 a.m., followed with purple-glove, bubble, luau, glow-in-the-dark, family, holding-hands, and other themed laps.
Her team is the CHS Wolves, made up of more than 50 students. The team organized fund raisers through the year, and each member raised at least $100 for American Cancer Society.
“Raising $100 was really easy because everyone knows someone with cancer,” she said.
Teams also fund raise at the Relay, selling food, bracelets, lap beads, and other items. They set up wishing wells, dunk tanks, carnival games, and other activities.
“It’s really family friendly,” Addis said. “There’s a lot of youth involvement ? kids keep walking all night. And the community also comes out to remember and honor those they know with cancer.”