Hey everyone!
This past weekend I was proud to participate in the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life, held in my hometown.
Leading up to the event, I spent my evenings raising money. It is amazing how many people were willing to help out, although not too surprising when you consider how many peoples lives have been touched by cancer.
Also, as my teams' captain I was responsible for adding up everyones money and encouraging them to fundraise. My team ended up raising over $1000.00! Great work guys!!
The relay began on June 5th at 7:00 pm. Unfortunately the weather did not cooporate for us and the track was so muddy from rain/snow that we had to move the walk indoors. The event, however, went perfectly. The 
night started with the cancer survivors lap around the gym. The survivors aged young and old, clad in yellow t-shirts, proved that the fight against cancer can be won and gave us all hope. After the survivors lap, the 300 people that registered for the event started the all- night walk for cancer. For 12 hours my team and I walked laps around the gym only stopping a few times for breaks. The night also included an inspiring speech from a cancer survivor. She told everyone how important it is to focus on only the positive aspects of the cancer experience. At first, I wondered how on earth there could be anything positive about having cancer, but as she sat there and told her story I understood. She stated, "cancer has taught me to appreciate life. It has made every sound more clear, every colour that much brighter, and every experience one to cherish." She told us not to wait until we have cancer to truly appreciate life but to be greatful for what we have right now and realize the beauty of everything around us. It was a very powerful speech and one that, I'm sure, touched everyone in that gym.
Following the speech we walked in silence around the gym while listening to Josh Groban's-You raise me up. The song captured the moment and really made me think of all the great things in life and how lucky I am to be me.
The night went on and finished with more upbeat music to keep everyone awake and walking and finally ended at 7:00 am on June 6th.
Overall the Relay For Life was amazing and I can't wait to participate in it next year....hopefully we will have better weather next time though!
Please visit the link on the side called Global Lethbridge Interview too! My segment is near the end.
Stay tuned!
~Taylor Stronski, Miss Teen Claresholm-World
