Relay for Life

last night i attended the "American Cancer Society's Relay for Life"
in Eden Prairie. an annual event to raise money and awareness.
this event ran from 6pm last night to 6 am this morning.
(um..yea, i went home at 9:30)
at least 100 teams (camps) assembled in the middle of
Central Middle School's race track...literally, camps/tents set up
all aound the infield, all with their own themes, clever names, decorations,
signs etc. (the idea is to have at least one person from your team walking
on the track at all times)...pledges were made in the weeks leading
up to the event. when i arrived they were just getting underway.
they start each year with local cancer survivors making the first lap.
it's incredibly moving. they walk arm in arm, in groups, holding hands,
some in wheelchairs...all ages. cancer respects no age.
as they make their way around the track they pass by HUNDREDS of
luminaries that line the inside and outside lanes of the track.
on these luminaries are names of both survivors and those that have lost
their battles with cancer...decorated by family and friends.

i was amazed at the amount of teenagers in attendance...hundreds.
playing volleyball, throwing footballs, passing soccer balls, dancing
to the band. all with sleeping bags ready to hunker down for the night.
pretty cool.

my favorite part of the night...in exchange for a donation i received a
"gurney ride" from my nieghbor, Kip and his Police & Firefighter buddies.
flashing lights and the whole bit...all around the track, it was quite
a hit! the kids all lined up for that one! next year, they tell me,
they are going to have a siren on board as well!
i plan to return next year and have already made arrangements
to dontate a portrait session to the silent auction.

this morning, i am going to take photographs of a home owned by
a member of my church that burned down this past tuesday.
the church wants to do a "rebuilding" story and archive the process.
i was honored when i got the call.

some women from the church are meeting today to attempt to
re-assemble the photo albums that were recovered from the rubble.
i can't even beGIN to tell you how that touched my heart.
the first thing EVERYone mentions when there has been a fire is
the photo albums. i think i'll try to find out where they are meeting
and go get some shots of that as well.
PLEASE! everyone, store you images with an online processor....
ofoto.....shutterfly.....somthing...and do it TODAY!

peace everyone.