On Saturday, May 11, students participated in the yearly Loudoun County Relay for Life, a philanthropic event that gathers money for the American Cancer Society, who funds research, treatment, and patient care. The event took place at Independence High School, where not even the mercurial weather prevented participants from celebrating the memory of loved ones who have been affected by cancer.
Fundraising teams from different Loudoun County schools attended the event, handing out sweets and bracelets, as well as participating in games and line dances. The Stone Bridge team was made up of co-captains Valentina Smith and Mitali Srivastava, as well as sponsor Mrs. Elizabeth Gloe. Smith recalled that the school’s fundraising process took about two months and great preparation, and the group was able to raise more than $500 dollars to support the cause.
“We had a lot of ideas,” Smith said. “We wanted to make a raffle, but it was hard with the school rules. We decided that it would be better to do a bake sale and a bracelet sale, [creating] a sign-up genius to get people to bring their own baked goods. We had some really cool things that people brought.”
While the fundraising process was complex, the team maintained its goal and braved through difficulties before reaching a successful end and continuously supporting the cause. Similarly, while Relay started under heavy rain, the event was eventually welcomed by a double rainbow.
“I thought it was really cool how everyone was still enthusiastic despite the heavy rain,” Srivastava said. “It kind of shows how people have to be resilient through tough times, especially with cancer. And [later] we saw such a beautiful rainbow. It was so pretty and it was so encouraging.”
Another encouraging and unforgettable figure was the participant Nana, who could be seen dancing around the field throughout the event both in the rain and the sun, a bundle of joy and positivity wrapped in bright clothes and a smile.
“I’m a cancer survivor,” Nana said. “I do at least four relays a year in different parts of Virginia. It’s my way of giving back to those who are battling cancer and those who have lost to cancer. And we had a double rainbow today, which means, I think, that the people that have passed were giving us love and showing us how much they appreciated what we were doing.”
Jim Remington, the event’s photographer, was responsible for capturing the enormous support of the community. Whether participants danced on the field, played games, walked the Relay, or enjoyed one another’s presence, the event was a celebration of memory, courage, and tremendous love.
“I guess I’m lucky that I get to catch things and capture it as it happens,” Remington said. “The event itself has been full of so much joy and so much excitement, especially [after] the weather we suffered through earlier on. It changed from the hardest rain we had all day to sunshine and a double rainbow. And that itself just evokes happiness and smiles and festivity, and I just got to be the lucky guy to capture it. It has kind of renewed my faith in Relay for Life and how much fun it can [actually] be.”
As the Relay approached its end, announcers revealed that Loudoun County was able to raise almost $100,000 to the cause. Families celebrated this tremendous feat by taking part in the Luminaria celebration, walking around the track and lighting a candle in memory of family members who had passed away due to cancer.
“Until I was diagnosed with cancer, I wasn’t, you know, like that,” Nana said. “[But] once you are diagnosed [and] you go through cancer, you learn to live every day. You live your life to the fullest every day because you don’t know what can happen. So that’s what I try to do: I try to give joy back to people.”
