As you all know, this weekend was Yale’s Relay for Life. The event began at 6:00 pm, but people arrived throughout the night, many showing up around 1:00 am or 2:00 am after enjoying some of the other events happening that night. Needless to say, those who did not show up missed out on one of the most epic nights of performances.
Shades, Sabrosura, Matt Jaffe, and others sang, while groups including Yale Bhangra, Yale Belly Dancers, and Yale Breakdancers danced. Some of the major highlights for me were dance lessons by Rhythmic Blue and a quick exercise class with some Zumba instructors. All through the night people were enjoying the insane Bouncy Castle and playing basketball, and around 3:30 am people sat down to enjoy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
Despite all the fun, there were moments to reflect on why we were all there. Starting with the Survivor lap, people walked the track all night. The track was lined with Luminaria bags that were there to honor or remember those who have had or currently have the disease. Around 10:00 pm there was a Luminaria ceremony where people were allowed to share the stories of those they had lost and walked in silence to remember them. The highlight of the night was when a committee member shaved the head of a girl who had raised over $700 for the event. Everyone watched and videoed as her curly hair disappeared, and it was a great way to remind us of all the people who lose their hair with chemo.
The event had 590 participants, 63 teams, and $45,000, but did not quite reach its goal. Fundraising continues through the summer so if you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time!