Several walkers pass by the line of paper bag luminaries decorated by relay participants and spectators on Saturday. Photo by Darcy Ellis

By Darcy Ellis
Editor

6-24-2008

Some walked or ran in memory of loved ones lost to cancer, while others rounded the track at Bishop Union High School on Saturday in support of friends or family members who have survived the disease or are still fighting it. Their specific reasons for walking or running may have varied, but all participants of the first annual Eastern Sierra Breast Cancer Alliance “Night Lights” event shared a desire to raise both funds for ESBCA and awareness of cancer and its impacts on fellow community members.
Marked by what organizers deemed a surprising, impressive turnout, the inaugural Night Lights Relay Walk/Run and Summer Solstice Celebration was modeled after the American Cancer Society’s 24-hour Relay for Life, and was meant as a tribute to national cancer survivors as well as a means of spreading sarcoma cancer awareness.

“This is overwhelming, how many teams we have for our first year,” ESBCA board member Jillene Freis said at the start of the Night Lights Relay Run/Walk. “I am very impressed.”
More than 20 teams, including a group of Manzanar National Historic Site volunteers and employees, signed up for the 6.5-hour relay, having garnered ahead of time pledges from community members that exceeded organizers’ expectations.

Teresa O’Brien passes the flag to a friend at the start of the “Survivors’ Lap” that kicked off Saturday’s Eastern Sierra Breast Cancer Alliance Night Lights Relay Walk/Run. The 6.5-hour event raised about $6,000. Photo by Darcy Ellis

“We had hoped each entrant would get at least $25 in pledges,” Freis said Monday, “but many got way over that amount. At a minimum, the teams each brought in $150, and some earned $300 or $400.”
According to Freis, initial estimates indicate that participants and spectators – through the purchase of memorial “luminaries” – raised approximately $6,000 for ESBCA and the cancer patients it serves.
That money, minus ESBCA’s costs for insurance and rental of the high school track, will help the non-profit organization increase its financial aid to local cancer victims until its major fundraiser in October, the ESBCA 5K Walk/10K Fun Run.
“We decided to do this this year because we’ve been getting 10-12 requests a month for assistance that we haven’t been able to fully fund,” Freis explained.
Past recipients of ESBCA’s support, financial and otherwise, helped to kick off the event at 5:30 p.m. with emotional testimonials, words of gratitude for ESBCA and the community at-large, and, by their very presence, a reminder to those present who and what it was they were running or walking for, and why.
“We have the great fortune to have these wonderful survivors with us tonight,” ESBCA board member Leo Freis said as one after the other, several women and a couple of men emerged from the crowd to join Freis at the steps of the grandstands.
“This is why we’re here tonight,” ESBCA President Pat Ramirez said. “We feel so much for them, they’ve been through so much.”
Each cancer survivor, some of them having fallen victim to the disease more than once, was given the opportunity to speak. Those who did address the crowd of spectators and participants shared stories of strength, grace, grit and determination, and in some cases displayed an unabashed joy that perhaps only those who have conquered cancer can truly appreciate.
“I can’t live my life worrying about cancer returning, I just live for every day,” said one woman. “I am thrilled to be here as a survivor – I’m thrilled to be a survivor in the first place.”
Another woman who spoke didn’t have much to say but, with her few words, spoke volumes: “Five years, yeah! Five years!”
The cancer survivors were then given the honor of starting the relay with the “Survivors Lap.” Once they were finished, the teams were let loose, with members taking turns logging laps up until midnight.
Throughout the evening, participants and spectators were encouraged to decorate paper luminaries, in which candles were placed and lit after sunset. What appeared to be mere paper bags lining the main portion of the track were actually heart-felt memorials to departed loved ones, get-well cards for ailing friends, boastful advertisements of cancer survival, letters from anonymous supporters and supportive messages for relay participants. A total of 171 luminaries were on display, and roughly half of them were “in memory” or “in honor” of someone lost to cancer or stricken by it.
“For Jill, Who Beat Cancer Twice,” read one, while another – commenting on a slightly less anonymous cancer victim – simply said, “Ann Richards. Don’t Mess with Texas.”
Another perhaps summed up the sentiments of those attending who haven’t been touched by cancer, specifically.
“Even though I have not personally lost anyone from breast cancer or had breast cancer in my family, I feel for everyone who has had it in their life. Cancer is a dreadful thing, but the thing you need to remember is that you have support from everyone.”
Regardless of their specific messages, each and every luminary was “incredibly touching,” Freis said. “They were my favorite part. Some were like works of art.”
In addition to being grateful for the turnout and outpouring of the community on Saturday, ESBCA also has a number of individuals and groups to thank for contributing to the success of Night Lights.
Bill Snyder donated his disk jockey services for the duration of the event, playing inspiration songs for runners and walkers. The Big Pine Civic Club loaned ESBCA the use of its shaved-ice machine, which was dutifully manned by ESBCA board member Ian Lindsay, Bob Church and Walt Sharer.
Raymond’s Deli donated a lunch gift certificate, which was won by the team that logged the most laps, the Manzaknights.
Sage to Summit co-sponsored the event with ESBCA and provided the individual lap-leader, local ultramarathon ace Marie Boyd, a $50 gift certificate.
According to Freis, Boyd logged an incredible 96 laps – equivalent to 24 miles.
That may be a record Boyd will have a chance to break in 2009, judging by the success of Saturday’s event.
The Night  Lights “just exceeded our wildest dreams,” Freis said. “I think we will do this again next year.”