Hermiston Relay for Life Raises More than $50,000

Heat may have cut Hermiston’s Relay for Life short this weekend, but it didn’t dampen the spirit.

“Even though we had the heat, I still think it was a great event,” Paula Messenger, 2015 event lead, said. “We reached new survivors and new caregivers and we raised awareness and funds. That’s what this event is about.

Relay for Life is an annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Local teams raise funds and work as a relay to keep one team member walking constantly over the course of an evening. In addition to raising money for cancer patients and cancer research, Relay for Life allows cancer survivors, caregivers, and friends to interact and fellowship.

Planned activities during the event included a watermelon seed spitting content, water balloons, the luminaria ceremony, a cake walk, costume judging and a silent auction.

This year’s event took place at Armand Larive Middle School. Originally planned for the outside track, much of the event instead took place inside the school gyms after a heat wave pushed temperatures up to 109 degrees Fahrenheit.

With the high temperatures, the opening ceremonies included reminders to drink water and information about sun protection and measures to prevent heat exhaustion. An announcement every two hours throughout the event reminded participants to re-apply sunscreen.

Despite other measures, organizers did opt to end the event at 9 a.m. Saturday instead of 10 a.m. because temperatures were already rising. By the end of the weekend, the Hermiston event had brought in about $54,000 this year – and teams are still updating totals.

The event was still positive for organizers and participants. A 9-year-old cancer survivor, Mateo Rockwell, and his mother, Natasha, served as grand marshals and lit the flame of hope. Mateo’s older brother, Hans, was not shy about speaking out about cancer and its impact on his family.

“It meant a lot to me when he became a survivor,” he said. “It affected me a lot, and I know our battle was minuscule compared to what others have gone through . . . Keep praying and be grateful for what you have.”

Other participants, like survivor Mary Hensel, applaud the event but point out efforts continue year-round.

“We’re here to celebrate, but we all have one common thing to do,” she said. “Once we leave this place, we have to continue to fight cancer.”

For questions or information about American Cancer Society patient support services, call 1-800-227-2345.

For more information about the Hermiston event, visit the Relay for Life website.