It's Not Too Late to Register for Relay for Life

There are only 4 weeks left until the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Southern Dallas County! There are only 4 weeks left for those of us on the planning committee to finalize our plans! We've got a lot of fun things planned for the whole family, so we're hoping you will all join us!

If you haven't registered to walk, it's NOT TOO LATE! You can walk alone, join an already established team, or even start a team of your own! It's so easy to register! Just go to www.relayforlife.org/southerndallascountyia and sign up! The website will walk you through it.

Once you're registered, you can send out precomposed emails to all of your family and friends asking them to support you in this worthy cause.

A lot of people that have been touched by cancer tell me they just can't "handle" the Relay. They've never been and are afraid of the emotion the event would bring out for them. This is my advice for those of you that feel that way. Come. Check us out.

The event starts at 5 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. The Survivor Lap will take place around 7 pm. If you don't think you can handle that part, then come at 5 or 6 and leave before 7. Our Luminaria Ceremony starts around 9 pm. This happens to be my favorite part of the whole evening! But those that have lost loved ones are afraid they won't be able to handle the emotion it will evoke.

So, I say to those of you that feel that way, come around 8 and leave before 9! But most importantly COME.

While the Relay is the American Cancer Society's biggest fundraising event, it's much much more than that! It's an evening of connection.

Come. If you're a recently diagnosed cancer survivor, come, meet the other survivors. Swap some war stories! Get some advice from those that have been there, done that, got the T-shirt (purple of course!)

Also if you're newly diagnosed, please realize that YOU too are a SURVIVOR! From the day of diagnosis you are considered a survivor!

So COME! Walk the track during the Survivor Lap! Eat a Survivor Cupcake and get a Survivor Flower! Show the world you're a SURVIVOR! (OK I got a little off on a tangent, sorry about that!)

If you're a caregiver, I encourage you to come! Meet with other caregivers! Share coping mechanisms, vent about insurance companies, and find support in those who understand exactly what you're talking about.

If you've lost a loved one to the evil C, then COME. Join us. We'll cry with you. We'll laugh with you. We'll support you in a way that only other people who've lost someone to cancer can.

So, what if you don't really have a connection to cancer? Well, you all can come too! The more the merrier! It's going to be a great family event! A meal will be available with the proceeds going to our Relay. I know for a fact that a couple of Princesses will be on hand to visit with all little princesses and princes! We'll have a DJ and fun games for the kids to play. And did I mention the BOUNCE HOUSE??

So, please, come. There's still 4 whole weeks to sign up. While that might be putting ME into an anxiety spin, it's PLENTY of time for you! Hope to see you there!!

PS, If you'd like to buy a Luminaria In Memory Of, or In Honor Of a loved one, you can order one from the Relay For Life website or by contacting me at relay4lifeSDC@gmail.com. Luminaria bags are $10 each and you can decorate them however you like!