Let's Make History

Cancer. Before I go on, stop and think about what this word means for you. You might be thinking about a loved one you’ve lost because of this terrible disease. You might be thinking about the hours you or a loved one has had to spend in the hospital because of this disease. It’s also possible that cancer hasn’t played a huge role in your life, and if that is the case don’t stop reading now. No matter what the case is, cancer is something that has become incredibly prominent and invasive in our world. It is so easy to ignore the hard things, but there is no time for that. It’s time to fight cancer and make history.

This year about 564,800 Americans are expected to die of cancer—more than 1,500 people a day. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease. One of every four deaths in the U.S. is from cancer. Since 1990, there have been approximately 5 million cancer deaths.  These numbers are numbers that I never want to see again. These numbers became more than just numbers to me a few years ago when I lost Papa to cancer.

My parents had told me that Papa was sick and things were getting pretty bad. I didn’t really want to believe them, but I had to. For the first time I was forced to think about the impact that cancer had in my family’s life. I sat with Papa for some of his last hours, but he never showed a sign of weakness. Papa’s faith and love kept him strong through the end.

Papa was a man who was full of energy, love, and life. Nothing ever seemed to bother him and he was always a calming presence wherever he was. He is someone that I admire greatly and he is someone that is loved by so many people. Papa always took the time to make you feel loved and known by him. He was a man who took the time to have great conversations with you and give you a nice big hug. He was the biggest Syracuse fan I know and I think he is who left me with some mixed feelings after the Wahoo loss versus Cuse on Sunday. He also loved history more than anyone I know. One of my favorite memories with Papa was his trip to Virginia to chaperone my class’ field trip to Jamestown. He was so interested and intrigued by everything we saw. His love for history has made me think of what kind of history we can make.

Relay For Life has given me the opportunity to contribute to something urgent, something important, and something bigger than myself. We have the opportunity to make history. Relay For Life has grown into a nationwide event raising nearly $5 billion to save lives from cancer. In a world where we are constantly innovating and discovering, I have hope that we will see the end of cancer and history will be made.

I Relay for Papa, for Mrs. Gerkin, and for all of those who are impacted by cancer. This disease has an impact that is far greater than anyone would ever want it to be. Join me and let’s make history.

RelayLove,

Alexa Vignone

Greek Recruitment Committee

Sunday Shoutout: Miller & Minh

Hey Relay-ers! I am honored to announce that this week's shoutout goes to the new Relay For Life Co-Chairs for the 2016-2017 school year: Miller Sisson and Minh Bui! Biggest congrats to these two wonderful people & be sure to say hello if you see them!

Name: Miller Sisson

Hometown: Birmingham, AL

Year/Major: 3rd year, Human Biology

Position on Relay: Greek Recruitment Chair

Why I Relay: I Relay to fight back against cancer. I have had two grandparents with cancer, and so I Relay to both honor them and to hopefully prevent others from going through what they did. I also Relay for my future career. I want to be an oncologist, and my dream is to be able to say to folks: "You have cancer, but we can do something about this. We can cure your disease." I believe the work that Relay and the ACS are doing now makes this dream closer and closer to becoming a reality.

Why I’m Excited For Relay: I go to bed really early most days, but I can't think of a more exciting reason to pull an all-nighter. Seeing so many folks at UVA come together to fight for the same goal is really powerful. And the free food. 

Did you know… That I have a twin sister? She's a student at Furman University in South Carolina. She's a lot cooler than I am, but I'm one minute older so it all evens out, right? I have two younger brothers too, and they are pretty cool in their own right. 

Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream: Chocolate. It's not even close.

Name: Minh Bui

Hometown: Chantilly, VA

Year/Major: 3rd Year, Sociology

Position on Relay: Entertainment Chair

Why I Relay: For my Aunt

Why I'm Excited for Relay: Because Luminaria is one of the best hours of my year, and that we'll be playing Hunger Hungry Hippos - Human Edition

Did you know: I turned my parents into cake ball creating sweatshop workers in high school and made them help me make 1,400 cake balls to sell for Relay. No shame.

Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream: Anything with salted caramel!

For The Irishman

When cancer first affected my life, I was too young to realize it. I was three years old when my Grandpa Bob passed away from lung cancer at a relatively young age. I was three years old when I lost the person who had taught me to play the piano, who was the reason I knew what the Yankees were, and who had the exact same Irish eyes as I have. I was three years old when I lost the person who was supposed to see my sister and I grow up, who was supposed to take care of my grandmother in her old age, and who was supposed to tell me all about my Irish descendants. But I was just three years old, and I had no idea.

It was years later, when I found my Mom crying downstairs, that I learned about the incredible man I had lost. She had found tapes of my Grandpa Bob’s voice, and we listened and cried for hours while she told me all about the person he had been. I had never seen my mother cry before. That was the first time that I truly understood what cancer could take away.

Since then, I have been confronted by cancer in so many ways. I don’t remember my Grandpa Bob’s funeral, but I vividly remember the funerals of two friends’ fathers who passed away from cancer. And I remember how much cancer affected their lives and the lives of those who loved them. I remember the day my Dad sat me down and told me that his own father, Grandpa Lind, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer. I remember visiting my grandparents that same year and seeing for myself the effect that intense cancer treatment had on my grandfather. I remember eating hot dogs with him because it was the only food he could still taste. I remember hugging him harder every time I said goodbye, in fear of it being my last. I remember his smile and his conviction, and I remember the day that the doctors finally told him he was in remission. And lastly, I remember the day the cancer came back.

I remember, and so I Relay.

I Relay in memory of my Grandpa Bob, in celebration of my Meme’s triumph in her battle against non-hodgkins lymphoma (a cancer of the lymphatic system), in honor of my Grandpa Lind, and in hope of a cancer-less future. I Relay for missed times, for missed relationships, for missed hugs and for missed kisses. I Relay for all of my friends who have lost a parent or loved one to this awful disease.

I Relay in the hope of a future in which no one has to say or hear the words, “I have cancer”.

Cancer is an epidemic. This year alone there will be an estimated 1,685,210 new cases diagnosed and nearly 600,000 deaths in the US. Right behind heart disease, cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States. We cannot afford to stand by; we cannot afford to lose the fight. This is not an individual battle, it is a global movement, and we can all contribute. Join a Relay For Life team. Donate. Visit the American Cancer Page to learn more. Just don't be a passerby - step up and do something.

RelayLove,

Stephanie Lind

Fundraising Co-Chair

#FinishtheFight

Cancer is not casual. Ask any one of your friends and the overwhelming majority of them can name someone they know whom this monster of a disease has affected. When I arrived at the University of Virginia I was very *extremely* eager to get involved and Relay For Life seemed like an obvious choice. Their mission to celebrate survivors, to remember those we have lost, and to fight back through our fundraising efforts for the American Cancer Society spoke to me.

Young, eager Allison at her first Relay For Life Event

At that point I could name one family member that had been affected by breast cancer, my great-aunt Nena. I still remember bursting into tears at a second grade assembly while our headmistress addressed us. That was the first time I had to feel the heartache of losing someone I loved because of a disease that seemed so out of my control or anyone’s for that matter. That experience was impetus enough for me to join this organization. Over the next couple of years I heard countless stories of why people relay. Tearfully, I listened as friends share their stories of acting as a caregiver to their mother, saying good-bye to their sister, fighting alongside their beloved coach, and so many more. These were such powerful stories and I thought that my one story was not enough. I loved my great aunt, but my memories with her were so few as I was so young. I am blessed to say that my family members are alive and well. However several weeks ago I was talking with a friend over drinks and he shared with me that he had had skin cancer. The comment was so nonchalant that it struck me. How had I not known this about one of my best friends? Surprisingly, this was not the first time this type of interaction had happened to me. Another friend of mine had similarly shared her story during happy hour as if it was regular conversation. Moreover this last weekend I was having lunch with my grandparents and my mom told my grandfather that he had to have a growth on his forehead checked out. She then told me that he had had a cancerous cell removed in the past.

Beyond these few stories, there are plenty more that go untold. I realized that I relay for them and that my reason for relaying is worthy. Thanks to the American Cancer Society, life saving research has been made possible so that the people I love most have been able to stay in my life. The American Cancer Society dedicates itself to research, education, advocacy, and service. Every dollar raised is a glimmer of hope that someone can share their story over a beer that they beat cancer, and hopefully one day there will be no stories to tell because we will see a world without cancer. We’ve certainly come along way thanks to the amazing work of researchers, physicians, nurses and all those committed to finishing the fight. Just look at our very own UVA researchers, Dr. Hui Li, PhD and Kate Adelstein, a nurse pursuing her PhD, who will be sharing their efforts at Relay For Life at UVA’s Flash Seminar this Friday.

We all play a role in ensuring a future without cancer. It is a privilege and an honor to have work alongside so many amazing people over the last four years doing my part by fundraising with Relay For Life for the American Cancer Society. No story is unworthy, no donation is too small. Do your part so that we can #FinishtheFight!

RelayLove,

Allison Palacios

 Co-Chair of Greek Recruitment