What to Expect at Relay for Life Kickoff

With only 2 MORE SLEEPS until the official KICK OFF for the Hazlet Relay for Life at Raritan High School Cafeteria, many people are approaching me with first timer questions: 

"What goes on at Relay for Life?" 

"Do I have to stay all night?"

"How much money do I need to raise?"

and many others.  We want as many people to attend this Kick Off and feel as excited as our Committee and past attendees feel about Relay and start fundraising for the June 2nd and 3rd event.

The questions we get the most is about staying all night and how much walking is really required. 

No, you certainly do not have to stay all night. However, our committee has already been planning for the past two months and will reveal our full itinerary on at the Wednesday night Kick Off of fun activities and events. 

I'm not going to give out all our secrets just yet but I can guarantee there will be a bounce house for the kiddies and some video games for the young at heart. 

We encourage people to stay the entire 18 hours as it's a community event and compared to what cancer patients and their families endure, we can surely give 18 hours of our life towards the cause. 

Depending on the size of your team, you may only have to walk a few shifts the entire time.  Each team can divide the walking  by laps or amount of time for their shifts but I will stress at our event, we do require a member from each team be on the track at all times. 

We will have "themed" laps to keep everyone motivated.  The themes will be revealed during our Kick Off along with the Relay's overall Theme this year. 

And of course, we encourage everyone to stay overnight so they may not only participate in the Opening Ceremonies but also in the Closing Ceremonies and feel that overwhelming sense of accomplishments. 

There are three main keys to the Relay: Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.

We Celebrate with kicking of Relay with a Survivors' Lap.  It's an inspirational moment when Survivors are invited to circle the track together and help everyone celebrate the victories they've acheived over cancer.  It's an emotional example of how Relayers are ensuring that more lives are saved each year.  Last year, the Surivivors met their Caregivers midway around the track.  It was so inspiring to see that most Caregivers were met with their Survivors. 

We Remember when the sun sets and the sky is lit by the stars by honoring people who have been touched by cancer and those who have been lost during a Luminaria Ceremony.  Luminary bags filled with sand are light, each one bearing the name of person touched by cancer.  During the Luminaria Ceremony at last year's event, we had bags closely lined side by side going around the entire Raritan High School track and when space ran out, the Luminary bags were lined along the fence to the entrance of the track.  We also lit up our HOPE sign that kept our walkers motivated throughout the late night and early morning hours of Relay.

And finally, we Fight Back where we make a personal committment to save lives by pledging to do something simple.  By taking action, we are personally taking steps to save lives.  Last year because my father and father in law's passings were so fresh, all I could do was pledge I complete the Relay. However, this year, I think I can pledge something that will impact my entire family. 

While I know I may have not answered all questions people may have,  I hope I have answered enough so that you feel the importance of attending both Relay and our Kick Off on Wednesday January 25th at 7 pm at Raritan High School.  We will have more information and provide all the tools you need for the recruiting and fundraising side of Relay.  We are inviting all residents of Hazlet, Holmdel, Matawan, Aberdeen, Keyport, Keansburg and other surrounding towns to join us for the next five months to Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back.

Follow us on Facebook Relay For Life Hazlet and Twitter @RFLHazletNJ .  We can also be found on relayforlife.org/hazlet or contacted via email at RFLHazletNJ@yahoo.com