When cancer survivor Karen Waddington received her diagnosis in 2020, she thought she would have to undergo surgery and chemotherapy largely in isolation, given pandemic restrictions at health care facilities. And while that was true initially, her disease and recovery introduced her to the supportive community of the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Relay For Life of Thurston County. First she was an interested patient, then a relay participant, next a volunteer and now an Event Leader who is helping organize the annual fundraising walk, which is June 24 in Lacey this year.
Waddington says that completing her first relay lap as a cancer survivor and sharing that experience with her husband showed her the strong Thurston County community spirit. “I was not alone,” she says. “During my treatment, my husband had to stay in the parking lot. But he was literally able to walk that lap and support me. For us to walk that lap together was life changing.”
Nationally Ranked Relay For Life of Thurston County Invites Community to Walk Laps at North Thurston High School
The entire community is invited to attend the June 24 relay at the North Thurston High School in Lacey. The local event raises funds to end cancer by supporting research and cancer patient services. The Relay For Life of Thurston County is phenomenally successful, ranked as a premier relay in 2022 with a standing of 6th out of 1,376 ACS community fundraising events nationally.
ACS Senior Development Manager Nichole Woolsey is a staff partner with the Thurston County relay organizers, and she has served as a caregiver. She says that while the local event’s leadership group had to get creative during COVID-19, they knew they would never stop. “We emerged stronger than ever, and with a commitment to the community,” she says. “Thurston County has passion, determination and courage.”
“When I see we are number six, I see the whole big picture,” she adds. “That’s what it means to me. People showing up.”
The Local Event’s Survivor Lap, Luminaria Ceremony and More Will Honor Cancer Fighters, Survivors, Caregivers and Those Who Passed
Cancer fighters, survivors, their supporters, and family and friends of those who passed away from the disease are invited to walk laps around the track in the relay. The luau theme is “ReLei for a Cure,” and fundraising teams and participants can also stay and camp.
After the opening ceremony at 1 p.m., a Survivor and Caregiver Lap immediately follows. Woolsey says this lap recognizes that everyone who hears the hard words “you have cancer” is a survivor of that experience and that caregivers are also on a cancer journey. “They are also surviving every day, every week,” she says.
Other themed laps and activities continue throughout the day and into the night. Those present will also start to gather at 9 p.m. for the Luminaria Ceremony. This part of the local event invites the community to hold pre-made luminaria lamp bags to remember and honor those lost to cancer and to reflect on the journey of those who survived. “It is a beautiful ceremony,” says Woolsey. “It happens when the sun is setting. We have white bags with the names of people diagnosed with cancer. The LED lights glow around the track. Every bag is a diagnosis. We have more than 2,000 bags. It’s a time of closure for a lot of people, a time of remembrance. We have a silent lap with just a bag piper playing Amazing Grace.”
The luminaria are weighted with donated cans of food for the Thurston County Food Bank. A photo show of those impacted by cancer will be displayed throughout the night. Bring camp chairs and blankets to sit on the lawn and watch the show.
This Year’s Local Relay For Life Includes a Car Show, Food Trucks and Activities
Waddington and Woolsey say the community can also attend the local cancer walk just to have a good outing, with picnics and other ways to enjoy the day and evening. This year’s event includes the relay plus a car show; food trucks; and field and fun activities like tug-of-war, limbo, hula hoops and volleyball.
Food options include Costco kosher dogs, and specialties from local vendors including Aloha Açai & Coffee Company aka Lava Bowlz, Baskin Robbins, Port Taco, Ricardo’s pizza, OlymPITA, Meggie’s Lumpia, Kona Ice and Worthy Coffee Co..
Discover More About Relay For Life of Thurston County’s June 24 Cancer Walk Event
Details on ways to contribute and participate, what to bring, schedules of events, teams, announcements, sponsorships, how to dedicate a luminaria, and much more are on the Relay For Life of Thurston County website. For more information about resources available for those battling cancer and for caregivers, visit the American Cancer Society website or call 800.227.2345.
