Inside the World of Relay for Life - Part Two -- Coco Lierfatte Reporting

This is a continuation of yesterday’s piece on Relay for Life. It was difficult to write about such a wonderful organization (and the wonderful people a part of RFL) in just one article. I had the pleasure to sit down and talk with a few Relay for Life veterans to learn about their joining of RFL and how the organization has impacted their lives.

Survivor & mentor Chipmunk Foxtrot:

C.L. - How long have you been a part of Relay for Life?

C.F. - Four years. First year I just relayed, second year helped with a build, third year my late husband Rockhound Foxtrot was team captain for Kingdom between Two Seas relay team, this year I am a team mentor.

C.L. - What made you become a part of Relay for Life?

C.F. - Personally, I am a survivor of cancer from 1993, but I have done things consistently in RL for charities so would have been involved anyway. Also, I had another cancer in June of 2011, and I’ve lost about 20 people in my family to cancer, my father died of lung cancer when I was about 14 & my mother later in my life.

C.L. - So Chipmunk, how has Relay for Life helped you?

C.F. - I feel that we can fight and beat this beast that takes over and destroys lives and families. I am proud to be part of the fight. Without the funds, they cannot get better technology to find the cancer early, and they would not have found mine. Early intervention or detection at this time is the only way to really beat cancer until we really find a final cure for the beast.

C.L - So, you have grown and been helped by Relay in ways most don't realize can happen. Have you seen other people get changed by their experiences in Relay for Life?

C.F. - Yes, I have been privileged to watch people that have very little idea what the RFL Relay is about become avid about the cause and then when cancer touched their lives have someone or a group to turn to for emotional and other support as needed. It has helped me work with people that have been destroyed by cancer in RL and SL.

C.L. - When you guys first became a part of Relay for Life, was it more than you expected or was it better?

C.F. - Much better, I just expected to walk around a track. When I saw the fantastic builds and the teams, how the each supported one another, it was mind blowing. My late husband Rock was invited into the veterans group the first year even though health reasons kept him out of the military, but they understood and accepted him for the first time.

C.L - What exactly is the veterans group?

C.F. - It was a RFL group back my first year that was all veterans of various wars.

C.L. - What has it been like seeing how people are affected by RFL?

C.F. - It has been absolutely fantastic watching the people get more involved in the fight and having fun doing it. For survivors and caregivers it is absolutely incredible to know that they are not alone and there is support any time day or night and people caring about what is happening in their lives and trying to help in any way they can. I was able to give the information on RFL to a supervisor for custom made orthodontics for cancer survivors and she is letting her clients know about the relay since most of them are shut-ins.

C.L. - Why did you become a mentor?

C.F. - I have become a mentor to help the teams that relay including the youth teams develop a quality relay experience and spread the word about the relay internationally.

C.L. - And last question, what are your goals when it comes to RFL?

C.F. - To keep doing more and better events/ relays so that the experience will not only help find a final and lasting cure for cancer but everyone knows that we are really one team with one goal and can have a lot of fun finding the cure and become one family.

Captains of Heroes For Life Terran Magic & Nightwalker Galaxy:

C.L. - How long have you been a part of Relay for Life?

T.M. - this is my second year

N.G. - 2 years as a team, and as a captain.

C.L. - Whoa, so you have been in it for a fairly long time. What made you become a part of Relay for Life?

T.M. - One of my best friends died last year from bone cancer.  And I lost my father to colon cancer.

N.G. - I got involved in relay as a way to help out those in need as I do in RL and in SL anyone that needs help I am always there for them so being in relay it was a way for me to give back to those that need the help and to raise money to find a cure for this deadly disease that has claimed a lot of people.

C.L. - Has Relay helped you in any way?

T.M. - Relay helps in so many ways.  Being involved in Relay has brought me so close to so many people who are caring and loving.  It is a great group of people.

N.G. - From the beginning as a first year team with only having 4 members and what all we accomplished was real big for me...working together with the people I had brought together in me a feeling of family with the members and those in relay already. Working together in events and being a part of the end of the year 24 hr Relay event really brought out a part of me that was touched. Hearing the stories and just being there made me want to Relay even more.

C.L. - So, you have grown and been helped by Relay in ways most don't realize can happen. Have you seen other people get changed by their experiences in Relay for Life?

T.M. - Every day.  What many people don't see when they first come in is what it is truly.  Relay touches so many and affects so many lives you see every day someone open up and reach out.

N.G. - I have seen people grow and become more involved and so proud to be a part of this. Allot of the members on the team this year from last season has grown a lot thanks to Relay.

C.L -  When you guys first became a part of Relay for Life, was it more than you expected or was it better?

T.M. - way more than anyone could expect, in a good way.

N.G. -  It was a lot more than I could ever expect and it was also a lot better than I expected....the way that everyone involved came together as one for a single goal a single dream, no enemies, everyone working together for one reason to find a cure to kill the beast known as cancer.

C.L. - What has it been like seeing how people are affected by RFL?

T.M. -  It's a joy.  it is great to see the support and to be a part of that.

N.G. - It’s been very touching and very heart felt to see people that have either grown from being a part of RFL and heart felt seeing and hearing the ones that have come into it who are fighting the beast or survived it.

C.L. - So Night what is making you become a mentor?

N.G. - I decided that next year I am gonna step down as a captain of the Heroes and take on a role of mentor I feel that being able to help out either new teams or existing ones with ideas or just helping them understand relay more and what they are doing by making an impact in the fight.

C.L. - And last question , what are your goals when it comes to RFL?

T.M. - Destroy cancer.

N.G. - My goal when it comes to RFL is finding a cure so no one else has to suffer or deal with death when it comes to this beast....and by going above and beyond all I am capable of to bring awareness and others into the fight so that one day we can all say WE HAVE FOUND A CURE until that time comes I will fundraise I will do events and I will help others be a part of the One Team One Dream.

I am so glad I got to sit down with these amazing people, and hear their stories. This has truly been a great experience. I hope their stories touch you as they have touched me. There are many ways you can help find a cure, hopefully you guys decide to join the fight against cancer.