Sundays in My City: Relay for Life

I can't remember a happier birthday than the one I had on Saturday. It started with Relay for Life, at which my Difference Makers supervised a children's play area with crafts and other fun stuff.

My favorite part of the relay was the Luminary Ceremony. Weeks ago, the Difference Makers decorated the bags, which were sold in local businesses as a fundraiser for the relay. People paid $10 for each luminary in memory of a loved one lost to cancer or in tribute to someone currently in the fight. Only one of the Difference Makers had ever been to Relay for Life and understood, on an intellectual level, what the bags were for, but until the actual ceremony (which is very moving), they hadn't realized how important they were.

During the ceremony, "candles" (LED candles) are lit, and everyone takes a slow, silent lap around the tracks, reading the names on the bags on one side or the decoration on the other. It's very powerful. 

I feel very blessed to have played a role in introducing five young girls to Relay for Life; 

I know they will treasure the memory, as will I.

For more scenes from cities around the globe, visit Unknown Mami's Sundays in My City.