As soon as Elkridge Elementary School announced it was putting together a team for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, fifth grade teacher Kathy Shilling jumped on board.
Her mother, Molly Kay McKelvey, passed away in 2001 from complications associated with Hodgkin’s disease, a rare cancer that targets the lymphatic system. Participating in the relay was a way to keep her mom's memory alive, said Shilling.
Last year was her first time in the event and this year, Shilling is participating again as a member of the Elkridge Scares Cancer team. “I will be doing it again, if humanly possible, each year there is a relay,” Shilling said.
Relay for Life started in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt ran and walked a track in Tacoma, WA, for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society (ACS). Since then, the movement has gone global with more than 3.5 million people participating each year in the United States and 19 countries. The relay can span any length of time up to 24 hours.
Though fundraising for ACS is optional, each Elkridge Scares Cancer team member has a personal goal. In 2010, Shilling wanted to raise $150 and ended up raising $530. Her goal is to top that this year.
All money raised by participants goes to fund cancer research. It takes a village to fight the many forms of this disease, and because people are passionate about its defeat, this enables the ACS to better fulfill its goal of creating "a world with more birthdays."
The 2011 Relay for Life of Howard County will take place at Hammond High School in Columbia on June 3, when participants will make their way around the track from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Campsites for each team will be set up around the perimeter.
Last year, luminaries were lit along the track to honor those lost as a result of the disease, reminding the world that these people lived meaningful lives and impacted those around them, like Shilling’s mom, who taught seventh grade at both Hammond and Clarksville Middle schools.
“She dedicated her time to helping her children, providing a wonderful, loving home, and teaching her students,” Shilling said. “With each step I took, with each lap I completed, with each hour I walked, I was afforded the opportunity to reminisce about the memories I had of my mom. Of course, I shed many tears, but I also laughed with my teammates along the way."
On team Elkridge Scares Cancer, there are 22 members, up from 12 last year. Since the disease is so common, many people have been impacted in one way or another, said Shilling, and the connection that develops among the participants is incredibly powerful.
The only rule in the Relay for Life is that one team member has to be on the track at all times; it doesn’t matter if the person is walking, running, or doing Zumba—a variation incorporated into the rules last year to mix up participants’ time on the track. As long as participants are on the track and moving, their time counts.
In 2010, Shilling walked at least seven hours. This year, her goal is to be on the track for nine. While not on the track, teammates can bond at the group’s campsite.
Shilling was just 26 years old when her mother passed away, an age at which she never anticipated burying one of her parents. Though McKelvey’s life was cut short because of Hodgkin’s, it doesn’t mean she’s gone. She lives in the stories Shilling tells her children, in the memories Shilling has, in the steps she takes each time she goes around the track. Walking for 12 hours may seem daunting, but it’s a small sacrifice to help those in need—each step measures hope that one day there will be a cure.
American Cancer Society’s intention for the relay is “to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.” With each step, participants are doing just that.
For more information or to donate, visit Elkridge Scares Cancer’s team page.
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