By Tracey Fitzgibbon

Our first Relay For Life held on Friday, June 10^th at Braintree High School and was a tremendous success. Not only did Team Hill & Partners, far exceed its original fundraising goal of $2,500.00 with a final grand total of $4,220.00, but we came together as co-workers & friends to celebrate, remember, and commit to fight back against cancer.

With the sun shining high in the sky our team took to the track to begin our relay event. While circling the track, you are immediately struck by the passion and commitment each person there has for participating in this event. Campsites are decorated, creative team shirts are worn, teams participate in on-site fundraisers and concessions, and a general feeling of optimism is present.

You can’t help but notice though that there are cancer survivors among us. Whether wearing the signature colored purple t-shirt reserved only for survivors or seeing women in chemo caps, we take moments through out the event to celebrate, remember and fight back.

The American Cancer Society is the official sponsor of The Relay for Life events that are held throughout the country. Each year, $41.7 million in American Cancer Society funds are invested in cancer research at Massachusetts institutions alone. Our Relay event raised over $197,000.00 with over 75 teams and 700 participants to contribute to that total.

Being a part of this Relay event with my co-workers, reminds us how important and how strong of a motivator doing something for the community we live in to help others is. As we continued as a team to relay into the night, while seeing the poignant Luminaria Bag Ceremony, we gain a new perspective.  Life can be hard, your problems can seem insurmountable, but seeing people who have experienced such loss, who continue to hang in there, can help you see life in a whole new light.

Thank you to my wonderful team for their participation in this event, as well as those who contribute to this cause. Together we raised a lot of money that will save lives, and help to create more birthdays by helping stay well, by finding cures, and by fighting back.