First Manhattan Beach Relay for Life Raises $58,000

Spearheaded by mother-daughter team Charlotte and Eliza Gesten, the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, a well-known all-night walkathon that raises money and awareness, took to 's Waller Stadium for its first Manhattan Beach incarnation. Eliza, a junior at Mira Costa who recently moved here with her family from Connecticut, told Patch she had been shocked to learn Manhattan Beach did not have a "Relay" in the city.

"There is Relay for Life of the Beach Cities, but historically Manhattan Beach has not participated much," she said. "I fought for this." Eliza had to convince The American Cancer Society that there was room for a second Relay in this part of town. The 300 participants, about 80 percent Mira Costa students, proved Gesten right, grossing $58,000 in funding for cancer research.

Charlotte and Eliza Gesten recruited help from students who made up a team of more than a dozen "chair persons."

"This all started with a bunch of girls sitting in my living room with a vision," Charlotte said. "Then a little angel appeared and said, 'Oh yeah, I've done this before,'" Charlotte said of her partnership with , a Mira Costa grad who went on to chair Relay for Life when she attended Yale.

Lang recruited her friend Samantha Prins, and the two young adults helped lead the team of high school students dedicated to the idea of a successful fundraiser on Mira Costa's campus.

The money was raised prior to last weekend's event by each individual team member. The teams took to Waller Stadium from 8 a.m. Saturday until 8 a.m.Sunday; and yes, there was quite a rainstorm around 4 a.m. Participants hunkered down in tents or raincoats during the momentary storm. The welcomed break came after about 20 hours of walking. In a Relay event, each team aims to have one member on the track at all times. While team members walked, others played soccer, frisbee, decorated crafts or listened to one of the six musical groups scheduled to play.

The walk started with a 10-minute yoga stretch led by Manhattan Beach local , whose mother is a cancer survivor. After the stretch, a survivor lap honored those who have won or are winning the battle with cancer. And then the teams of people walking, talking and - at least this year - throwing pies in one another's faces are off, walking and joining together to raise money for a good cause.

The teams this year included high school students from various clubs, including one team from Redondo Beach Union High School. Team Walk With Tom, who raised the third highest amount of money for the event, was made up of a family of all ages filling four tents and two canopies complete with outdoor furniture. "Morgan Kelley's Cancer Crushers," led by Manhattan Beach Middle School  student Morgan Kelley, won the prize for raising the most money. Team Cupcakes, led by Mira Costa student Jenny Anderson, won a prize for spirit. Their tent was adorned to stand out. 

The most memorable moment of the night occurred before the luminaria lighting. At this point in the evening, the stadium lights were shut down to prepare for the lighting of dozens of luminaria, each holding the name of a cancer survivor, a loved one who has passed, or a person currently battling cancer. All participants were given two glow sticks and instructed not to light them until a statement was read that was "true" in his or her life.

As luminaria chairperson Stephanie Palencia began reading statements such as, "My mother passed away due to cancer," or, "My friend passed away due to cancer," the glow sticks began to crack, ultimately illuminating not just the track but the importance of the evening. 

Next year, Charlotte and Eliza Gesten, with the help of their co-chairs and community, hope to bring the Relay back to Manhattan Beach, raising even more money for cancer research.