Editor’s note: This story was written from the point of view of a participant of the Relay for Life event. She participated in the full 24-hour walk held in the Carrier Dome on April 6 and wrote this piece as a reflection of the day’s events.

Inspiration. Pride. Sadness. Bliss. These are only a few of the multitude of emotions that I was overcome with as I watched the survivors take their first lap around the Carrier Dome.

On Saturday, Syracuse University hosted its annual Relay For Life. There were 209 teams and 1,840 participants working together to raise money toward finding a cure for cancer. By the end of the night, $114,361.23 had been raised. It was a night when all different organizations came together as one to honor those who lost their lives to cancer and to celebrate the many who won the fight.

The evening opened with an inspirational speech by one of our own SU students. Her warm words describing her personal battle with cancer captivated everyone in the venue and exemplified the reason why we were all there. After her moving speech, the survivors were first to commemorate the event with a lap around the field. Then their caretakers were asked to join them, followed by all other participants. As everyone walked the track together, uplifting music played in the background.

I have personally participated in Relay For Life since my freshman year of high school when my friend Jenna Margolis, a junior at Susquehanna, and I thought it would be a worthwhile event to attend.

Unfortunately, when we were sophomores in high school, the event became more personal to us: My friend’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Watching my best friend and her mother walk together with such grace during the survivor and caretaker lap was a sight that I will never forget. They, along with the many other survivors, were such inspirations to the community and to me. From then on, Jenna and I began putting in work to make Relay a success by recruiting people and asking local stores to donate.

To my pleasure, when I arrived at SU, I was thrilled to witness such a high level of hard work put forth by the planning committee in preparation for Relay For Life. I was also proud to learn that SU is one of the top 25 universities for Relay For Life fundraising.

During my freshman year, my grandmother, Shirley Schnapper, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Though I was devastated, I knew she would remain strong and overcome the disease. My grandmother is an inspiration to me and to everyone who knows and loves her. I am so proud of her and how far she has come. She is my inspiration and motivation to fundraise and participate in Relay For Life. My hope is that if I, along with many other motivated individuals, continue to support this cause, we will one day have a cure for cancer.

As I reflect on the success of Saturday evening’s event, I note that the Dome was not as full as it was in previous years due to the Final Four basketball game. Still, it showed that the people who came truly cared about helping put forth efforts toward making a difference.

The myriad organizations held activities such as face painting, tarot card reading, ballroom dancing and video games. Friends came together to hang out, relax and participate in something meaningful. The organizers even had the basketball game projected on the Jumbotron for all to watch.

The evening was filled with emotion, and the most evocative event was the luminaria ceremony that honors those who have lost their lives to cancer. As all of the participants walked around the field together, the names of those who have passed were read aloud in memory of their lives.

As the list of names came to an end, the survivors’ names were also read aloud. I was overcome with a feeling of optimism as I heard the long list. While there was a mournful element to this event, I was filled with a sense of promise for the future.

When my grandmother’s name was read, I couldn’t help but sport a resilient smile: She is one of the fortunate survivors. With the help of Relay For Life and the like, I am hopeful that the list of survivors will far outweigh the list of the deceased.

Heroes are all around us. Among the SU students, the basketball players embody heroism and provide entertainment, school spirit and hope. But while these players are iconic, the true heroes of Saturday night were those cancer survivors. It reminded me that life is filled with priorities and perspective. Friends, family and loved ones are the most important aspects of life.

Published on April 8, 2013 at 1:51 am

Contact Samantha: scschnap@syr.edu