Portland Relay for Life

Voices - April 2008

2008-04-04T23:53:00.007-04:00

Sharing Stories of Hope, Progress, and Answers Across Indiana and Michigan
Read the latest issue here.

Next Team Meeting - April 9th

2008-04-04T22:29:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday!

Just a quick note to remind everyone of the Team Captain Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 9th @ the VFW Hall on Bridge St at 7pm.

Please invite anyone you know who may have an interest in Relay For Life to attend as well.
Committee will meet at 5:45.

Thanks!
Catherine Thomet

Voices - March 2008

2008-03-21T21:46:00.003-04:00

Sharing Stories of Hope, Progress, and Answers Across Indiana and Michigan

Read the latest issue here.

Help Honor Cancer Survivors and Caregivers at Relay For Life

2008-03-21T21:39:00.006-04:00

Dear Friend,

Everyone has been touched by cancer in some way. Maybe you've fought the disease yourself or perhaps you've cared for a loved one battling cancer. Whether you've faced cancer and emerged victorious or need a place to connect with others who understand the loss of a loved one to this disease, you'll find a special kind of healing at the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.

Read the entire article here.

Cans for a Cure

2008-03-18T10:28:00.002-04:00

The Miller Family – Walk to Remember 2008

The younger members of the team are collecting returnable cans for their fund raiser for the Relay for Life.

If you’re interested in donating your cans, and bottles please let us know. Small amounts can be dropped off at the house; larger amounts can be picked up.

Call Norma @ 517-203-8354 or Dan @ 517-203-8369 to make arrangements.

Thank you,

The Miller Family

Relay For Life kick-off event set for March 12

2008-03-03T23:52:00.001-05:00

PORTLAND — The American Cancer Society invites Portland-area residents to celebrate cancer survivorship, remember loved ones lost and fight back against cancer during the 2008 Portland Relay For Life event. A kick-off meeting for this year's event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the Oak Room at the Wagon Wheel American Grill.

Although this year's Relay event is more than six months away, now is the time to get involved. The event is open to everyone. Organizers hope to see those individuals who have been involved in the past two Relay events, cancer survivors, and anyone who would like to learn more about the Relay For Life overnight event.

The Relay For Life is the group's signature event, dedicated to increasing awareness and raising funds to fight cancer. Teams of family, friends and co-workers camp out overnight, taking turns walking the track, a reminder that cancer never sleeps. The event includes entertainment and family activities, an inspiring Victory Lap by survivors and a luminaria ceremony at dusk that remembers those that have faced cancer.

The Portland Relay For Life event takes place from noon on Aug. 15 to noon on Aug.; 16 at the Portland High School track. For more information on getting involved in this year's event or about the kick-off event, contact Barb Bever at barbev@hotmail.com or call Catherine Thomet at 1-866-354-6284.

— From the American Cancer Society

Lansing State Journal (March 2, 2008) [From Portland Review & Observer]

2008 Portland Relay for Life Kick-Off Meeting

2007-12-07T15:04:00.000-05:00

To All Relayers:

This is just a quick email to inform all of you that our Relay For Life of Portland Kickoff date has been set for March 12th, at 6:30 p.m. at The Wagon Wheel. All teams interested in participating in the 2008 Relay For Life of Portland should attend this hour long kickoff, as well as anyone who is interested in volunteering or participating at the event. Any cancer survivors who are planning on walking in the Survivor's Lap should also attend. Food, drinks and entertainment will be provided, so please join us for a fun evening!

Liz Evans

Elizabeth L. Evans
Community Representative
American Cancer Society - Great Lakes Division, Inc.
400 Ann St., NW Suite 202
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
p) 616.364.6121 tf) 1.866.364.6284 f) 616.364.6451
elizabeth.evans@cancer.org

2008 Portland Relay for Life Site

2007-11-18T12:15:00.000-05:00

The 2008 Portland Relay for Life site is now up! Get your team registered.

Relayers raise more than $24 million in the fight against cancer

2007-10-15T16:11:00.000-04:00

From the Voices of the American Cancer Society (Great Lakes Divison) newsletter:

"This year, nearly 200,000 Relayers in the Great Lakes Division participated in 314 Relay For Life events, raising more than $24 million in the fight against cancer. More than 10,000 Relay teams were formed to participate in 25 college events and 289 community events in Indiana and Michigan."

What can I say but, "Wow!!" Read the entire article here.

2008 Date

2007-09-16T22:58:00.000-04:00

Tentative dates have been set for next year's relay - August 15 - 16.

Get it on your calendar now!

Survivor Celebration Poem

2007-08-26T20:58:00.000-04:00

To all of us you are a hero.
You are someone we all admire.
You are someone with strength and spirit,
Someone with determination and fire.
You have amazing heart and passion,
And a confident bounce to your stride.
When it comes to our individual lives,
We are glad to have you by our side.
You many not realize how many things
To us that you have passed on.
You have shown us through your battle,
That hope and grace will never be gone.
You have taken on the enemy called cancer,
And through your truly amazing fight,
We realize with just a little bit of faith,
A cure for all might be in sight.

- from the letter to Survivors

Photos from the Event

2007-08-26T15:59:00.000-04:00

Dan and Norma Miller have posted pictures (taken by Norma) from the event on their WebShots site. There is also a link to the site in the menu on the right.

Relay For Life 2007 "Portland"

News from Liz

2007-08-26T15:37:00.000-04:00

News from Liz Evans, Event Coordinator, American Cancer Society, posted on the Portland Relay for Life website:

The Relay For Life of Portland 2007 was a huge success! The community of Portland came together and raised over $51,000 dollars to fight back against cancer. The American Cancer Society would like to thank everyone who came to the event and for all of the volunteers that made this event possible. Thank you for making a difference!

Our first committee meeting to begin planning for the 2008 season will be coming soon. Anyone who would like to get involved with this great event should please email Liz Evans at elizabeth.evans@cancer.org or call 616-364-6121, ext. 11.

Cleaning Up

2007-08-18T15:27:00.000-04:00

The worst part of the event - breaking down and packing up. The trip up the stairs carrying things is quite the trek after the 24 hour event. While some of our team continued the walk, many of us 'walked' our equipment from our team site to our vehicles. Overall, not too bad, but when you are beat, it definitely was not fun. Maybe the hardest thing was helping my brother, Dan, and the Portland High custodian break down the stage and cart it to the high school building. The individual pieces are heavy!!

Without all the people, the stadium seemed barren. A few canopies here and there, overflowing trash barrels, folks taking the last of their equipment to their cars and trucks. A definite sense that the walk was over.

The Final Gathering

2007-08-18T14:19:00.000-04:00

Around 2:00, everyone gathered at the stage to celebrate our efforts. Team awards are announced and hugs and smiles are all around.

The event has raised over $50,000!!

The Day Winds Down

2007-08-18T13:00:00.000-04:00

As the day approaches noon, the weather heats up, sunny and the temp reaching the high 70's. (I even came home with sunburned arms and ears (?!?!?).)

The walking continues as teams start to break down the non-essentials -- tents and canopies disappear, food and prizes are given away, and a line of folks carrying stuff to their vehicles. The overnighters begin to show their lack of sleep, stumbling about.

The Calvary Arrives!

2007-08-18T06:45:00.000-04:00

Around 6:00 am, new walkers begin to arrive, giving the overnighters the opportunity to get some rest, crawling into their tents or chairs for a few zzzz's.

Many folks arrive with boxes of donuts, rolls and coffee. A group of Portland teachers serves breakfast for a small donation. (Another site had breakfast burritos that were huge! I was tempted to just hold it for a while to absorb its heat.)

Getting Ccccoooolllldd Out Here

2007-08-18T06:30:00.000-04:00

What a wacky night! Those of us that were staying overnight began to get a little loopy after a while - some were determined to stay up all night, others tried to grab a few minutes of sleep here and there. Some folks planned in advance and had set up tents with sleeping bags, air mattresses, etc. Others crashed in lawn chairs, bundled in blankets, sweat shirts and anything else as the night got chilly.

Chilly? That's an understatement. As the sun went down, the temps plummeted to the low 40's and maybe even the 30's. At 5:00 am, as the sun began to show its face again, walkers could see their breath hang in the pre-dawn cold. Brrrrrrrrr!

The Lighting of the Luminaries

2007-08-17T23:30:00.000-04:00

It is one of the most indescribable feelings to see all the luminaria lit. This event, called the Ceremony of Hope is best described by words from the Relay for Life website:

Highlighting the evening is a luminaria Ceremony of Hope held after dark to honor cancer survivors and to remember loved ones lost to cancer. The luminaria candles line the track and are left burning throughout the night to remind participants of the incredible importance of their contributions.

There is great solemness involved in the event, especially during the reading of the names of people to honor or memorialize. The only lights present in the stadium are those of the luminaria and as the names are read, the rest of the participants silently walk the track.

A Beautiful Evening for a Walk

2007-08-17T20:30:00.000-04:00

What a wonderful evening for a walk! The skies were clear and the temps in the 60's and 70's. Many good friends and supporters out to walk and help raise funds for the cause.

The Kick Off event at 6:00 was special as always, with many tears and hugs for the survivors.

There were many activities and music to keep the walkers entertained and way too many good things to eat!

Getting Set Up

2007-08-17T16:30:00.000-04:00

I didn't arrive until about 4:00 pm and had to lug the stuff from my car down the stadium steps to our team's site (The Miller Family - A Walk to Remember). Good thing there were a few folks to help!

Overnighters - bring some sweatshirts!

2007-08-17T10:05:00.000-04:00

The weather from WLNS:

“From StormTracker 6 Meteorologist Jake Dunne… Mainly sunny, breezy and cooler today with highs in the upper 70s. Clear and COOL tonight with lows in the 40s!

We’ll start out with mostly sunny skies on Saturday, but clouds will move in during the afternoon and rain is likely by tomorrow night. Sunday is looking stormy which may affect festivities at MIS.”

The Big Day is Here!

2007-08-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

Today’s the day!

Everyone is gearing up for the big event, putting their finishing touches on their team site at the Portland High School. Many folks put up tents or canopies yesterday and are now finishing up their decorations. Pictures and more details to follow soon!

Welcome

2007-08-15T17:16:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Portland (Michigan) Relay for Life blog!

The event begins Friday, August 13 at 3:00 pm and runs (walks) through Saturday, August 18.

Go to the event web site here.

To be added as a contributor to the site, contact Dave Miller at davidelgin@msn.com.