Cindy Conrad and Sharon May did not let Saturday’s gloomy, cool weather dampen their joyful spirit as they walked through Central Park.
The duo, who were holding onto a spirit stick as they looped around the large field, met approximately 15 years ago in a support group when they were diagnosed with breast cancer.
Their initial reaction when the doctor told them of their diagnosis was described as: “Shocked,” May said.
And “disbelief,” Conrad added.
They were lucky that the cancer was detected early on, Conrad said, and with the support of their spouses, they focused on scheduling their appointments for their mammograms and ready to fight the disease the best they could.
As they embarked on chemotherapy and radiation for several months, the experience taught May to “appreciate everything,” she said.
“You learn to appreciate a lot but you also are willing to share your story with other people that are scared of going through it,” added Conrad.
Now cancer-free, the duo was one team out of 75 total looping around the field all day long for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Santa Clarita Valley.
But Relay for Life is just not a walk — it’s a chance for the local community to celebrate survivors, remember loved ones, and fight back against every cancer from the most common to the rarest, while simultaneously raising funds for crucial programs provided by the American Cancer Society, said Senior Development Manager Abby Smith.
This year’s goal was $340,000 and every booth in attendance was selling a variety of items ranging from clothes to hand-crafted artworks to support the cause, with all proceeds supporting cancer research, patient transportation, lodging near hospitals, and the National Cancer Information Center, a 24/7 hotline for patients, family members and caregivers.
The local tradition, which has been going on for almost three decades, saw over 1,100 attendees with pre-registration this year, not counting those who showed up on the day of the event, according to Smith.
One highlight for her every year is seeing the dedication of all the volunteers, which is how the event comes to fruition. The SCV planning committee team is made up of 27 volunteers and “it’s really incredible to me just how committed they are to this and it’s very much a representation of how this community has been affected by cancer and how personal it is. Because it’s so personal, they are driven to do something about it,” Smith said.
Relay for Life made its debut in Tacoma, Washington, in 1985 when oncology doctor Gordon “Gordy” Klatt walked for a total of 83 miles in a 24-hour period and raised $27,000 for the American Cancer Society, according to volunteer Kelly Kruger.
The relay welcomed participants of all ages and teams were required to walk for 12 hours, with one member of each team remaining on the track at all times with their spirit stick.
Within the relay, 218 survivors also celebrated their victory against cancer, wearing the color purple, which represents hope and all types of cancer.
Many of them walked through the field while others shared their stories with others who wished to listen,and also shared the importance of why visiting the doctor for check-ups is crucial for early detection.
As the celebration also included games, food, performances and survivor stories, Cindy Orozco was beginning to put away a few items in the SCV Pink Sisters booth before it became wet with the light evening drizzle.
Orozco was diagnosed with cancer at 57 years old and did a total of 14 rounds of chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiation when she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer.
The diagnosis changed her life completely, forcing her to put her mother in a nursing facility as she could not take care of herself and her mom, she said.
“The radiation really beat my butt. I feel like I have the body of a 90-year-old,” she said. “I get tired so fast.”
But despite the hardships that came along with her diagnosis, Orozco just completed her first year of remission and has four more years to go before her doctor will consider her cancer-free, she said, and now “I’m just living life. I’m not going to dwell on if it comes back,” she said adding that being a part of the Pink Sisters has been a great support for her.
As the sun began to set, hundreds of white paper bags with photos of loved ones, and written messages laid all throughout the perimeter of the relay, which had now become a dark field in preparation for the luminaria ceremony.
The ceremony, one of the most emotional moments of Relay for Life, brought dozens together to light glow sticks and other lights in remembrance of loved ones — parents, siblings and friends.
“It’s all about remembrance,” Smith said. “Each one of the bags represents somebody who’s been affected by cancer, if they’re still with us today or have passed away. We do a silent lap together, to signify the impact cancer has had on our families.”
To reach the National Cancer Information Center you can dial: 800-227-2345
Signal Staff Writer Kamryn Martell contributed to this story.
