Relay for Life at Brunswick Delivers a Punch to Cancer

By Leslie Yager

Friday was perfect. Not too hot. Not too cold. There was a beautiful sunset over the King Street Brunswick campus as the American Cancer Society’s 2014 Relay for Life event brought people together from all corners of Town and beyond in a show of strength against cancer.

Diane and Jessica Silbereisen walking around the track at Brunswick School during Relay for Life. Credit: Leslie Yager

The dunk tank was a busy spot along the track during Relay for Life at Brunswick School. Credit: Leslie Yager

Meg Stewart, Helen LaSorsa, Dave Stewart, Ginny Stewart, Dale LaSorsa and Nick Stewart at Relay for Life at Brunswick School. Credit: Leslie Yager

Ginny and Meg Stewart at Relay for Life. Credit: Leslie Yager

At times emotional, the Relay for Life event evoked laughter through tears. Young and old. Friends and family. Hugs among strangers. Because, really, who is not touched in some way by cancer?

In what’s become a tradition, Relay For Life teams prepared to camp out overnight and take turns walking or running around Brunswick School’s track. In fact, all across the country, countless Relay for Life events last up to 24 hours. Why all night? Because cancer never sleeps.

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The only rule is that all teams are asked to have at least one participant on the track at all times.

Up at Brunswick on King Street, the atmosphere was upbeat if not emotional. GHS senior Bonnie Stallings of Byram pulled together an array of friends and family members who shared all manner of stories.

The corollary to the toll that cancer takes is that so often, even broken or estranged families can put aside grievances and come together. The event was as noisy as it was inspiring.

In matching purple shirts, the Saving Angels team, which included Bonnie Stallings of Byram participated in support of Adriana. Saving Angels is a nonprofit company for pediatric cancer support whose purpose is to monetarily support families whose children have cancer. Saving Angels is sponsoring a three-year-old, Adriana who has ALL, a form of Leukemia.

And at the end of the day, a good sum of money is raised for cancer research. In fact, as of Friday at the time this story is published, 43 teams and 344 participants had raised $76,331.13, with Chandler LaSorsa’s team at the top of the chart!