Thanks to a creative group of high school planners, a bunch of game teammates and a resilient captain, our second Relay for Life turned out to be the laughter lap.
Green-shirted teen-aged volunteers flitted all over Menomonee Falls High School, undaunted by threatening storms. They wisely voted to move the event indoors and never missed a beat.
With a maturity that belied their age, and energy that confirmed it, they put together an event that both honored and amused survivors.
Light-hearted events like a frozen T-shirt contest and double-elimination cupcake eating tournament provided welcome balance against the scary weight of cancer. Throughout the extremely well-run evening our young hosts kept us hopping. The walking route wound through an ultimate Frisbee game, musical chairs, a giant twister game and Limbo Lap. We jumped into a giant Zumba lesson and saw an impressive amount of girls donating their beautiful hair for Locks of Love.
Meanwhile, the planning team worked the rooms, taking pictures, registering participants, wrangling babies, coaching cupcake eaters, and hawking raffle tickets.
Imagine the difficulty of hosting an event that sustains interest for six hours, honors cancer survivors and celebrates their stories, memorializes loved ones, raises money for cancer research and creates a transcendent atmosphere of joy. That’s what this group accomplished last Friday night.
Consider this post a letter of recommendation for each member for the Menomonee Falls Relay for Life team.
We’re looking forward to seeing what you all cook up for next year.
