Ortonville- Hundreds of people walked in silence around the track of the Brandon Schools Athletics Complex on Varsity Drive on June 13 after dark.
The track was lit by the glow of luminarias, each remembering or honoring a person who has battled cancer. The messages were touching and many? ‘My mom, my angel,? said one; ‘In honor of Aunt Jo, cancer-free 10 years,? said another; ‘Dear Grandma, I love you,? was the simple message on a third. Several lined up together contained a poem and accompanied the picture and name of Edward A. Rock: ‘A little tribute, true and tender, just to show that we remember; time may pass and fade away, but memories of you will always stay.?
The silent lap around the track was broken only by the faint sobs of participants moved to tears.
The emotional ceremony was part of the second annual Relay for Life of Brandon/Ortonville, a 24-hour walk to raise funds to find cures for cancers. From 10 a.m. June 13 to 10 a.m. June 14, members of about 35 teams took turns walking laps at the track. Throughout the day, music was played and themed laps made for fun. At night, the music ended and it quieted down some as many participants retired to tents, but the walking continued. Relay participants came in all different ages.
Nicole Ladd, 14, Calley May, 15, and Alana DuLyn, 14, duct-taped their legs together for the three-legged lap, and still had smiles on their faces at about 9:20 p.m, even after being at the event since it began at 10 a.m.
‘This is a big deal in my family,? explained Ladd, who lost her great-aunt to cancer, and whose grandmother is a 3-time cancer survivor. ‘It’s an awesome program.?
Nicole Consiglio arrived at the Relay at 8:30 a.m. and was still going strong in the evening as she lit luminarias. Her mother, Connie Perris, had lung cancer two years ago and is considered cancer-free. Consiglio’s family has owned the A&W restaurant in town for 38 years and had a team at the relay.
‘This is a lot of fun, a great family event,? said Consiglio. ‘So many people of different ages come together to do this.?
Ryan Bruyere, a 29-year-old Waterford resident, was on the track, showing to passersby the tattoo on his arm depicting a pink ribbon with the message, ‘Save the ta-tas.? He got the tattoo in honor of his fiancee, Danielle Westmorland, who was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. She has been in remission for one year and stands next to him on the track.
‘It’s wonderful being here, but at the same time, it’s bittersweet,? said Westmorland, 40. ‘I lost both my parents to cancer and I am the third of their children to be diagnosed with cancer. We have donated DNA because of our family history.?
Westmorland had a bi-lateral mastectomy, chemotherapy, and has had repeated chest infections. She participated in the survivor lap in the morning and the luminaria ceremony in the evening. The relay events brought her to tears. But even with the challenges she has faced, she keeps her hope, a theme of the day at Relay for Life.
‘We’re getting married on Halloween,? she says. ‘We’re going to have the funnest possible wedding after everything we’ve been through. Everyone will be in costume… It will be a celebration of life, and of everyone who has supported us.?