Your Stories. Your Life.
"Local News With Heart" / Join Us In The Journey ©
Email: linda.MyPaperNow@yahoo.com
![The most solemn time of each Relay for Life is when the lights go out and the luminarias are lit. Pam Farinas, with Justice Gennari looking on, offered these words in explanation to the participants at the 2010 Bloomingdale Relay for Life at Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, Fla.
The Luminaria Ceremony
"The Luminaria Ceremony is an opportunity fo rus to come together and remember why we're here at Relay. I'd like to ask that everyone respect the meaning this ceremony carries by remaining silent.
"I would like to begin by asking how we can properly say thank you to all of those who are involved in the care of our cancer patients? I refer first to professionals, to those who devote their life's work to caring for cancer patients. You make a tremendous difference to patients and their families. We are often healed and always helped by your doctoring, your nursing, your ministering, and your caring.
"And to those family and friends who are, in the truest sense, givers of care. Cancer turns lives upside down. Relationships, loyalties, and friendships are tested. But you who care for loved ones with cancer have always been there with love and support. You sustained their suffering, gave them strength, and enabled them to persevere. You helped your loved ones endure treatment, the trauma of hair loss, pain, and sometimes debilitation. You shared in their joy, suffering, triumphs, and setbacks. The diagnosis of cancer can [lead to] a very long journey, one that is very difficult to travel alone. However, with your support you have provided your loved ones with hope.
"We have all heard it said that one's attitude makes a difference in surviving cancer. In reality, one's attitude makes a difference in every aspect of life whether you're a cancer patient or not. The way we approach each day, whether sick or well, makes a difference in how we live and how we affect those around us. The truth is that each of the loved ones we honor tonight, those who have died of cancer and those who are surviving, all are courageous and strong fighters each in their own way.
"We will always remember the victims of cancer who were a part of our lives. This is a time for us to grieve for those we've lost. It's a time for us to reflect on how the disease has touched each of us personally. And it's a time for us to look inside ourselves with quiet reflection and find hope. Because no matter what our experience with cancer has been, we all share the hope that we will one day live in a world where our children and their children will never have to hear the words, 'You have cancer.'
"Tonight our track is illuminated by luminaria. Each one represents a treasured relationship. They represent people and each has a name and a story to tell. They are our mothers, our fathers, our sisters, our brothers, our sons, our daughters, our friends, and our loved ones. About those we remember with these luminarias who have died, I say:
"You whose memory we honor tonight, this light represents the love we share. It still burns for others to see but it burns brightest in our hearts and souls. You were and always will be a part of us. Though we do not see you, we know you are with us.
"For those survivors who are here tonight we offer our support, our prayers, our hope and expectation for healing and a cure.
"As the luminarias glow through the night, they represent our shared vision for a cancer-free future. We love the people these luminarias represent so let us remember them, celebrate them, and fight back against this disease for them.
:At this time, I invite everyone to join together in the walking of a lap of silence in honor or in memory of someone close to you who has battled cancer. Let each step be in remembrance of our experiences and those special people we've shared them with, a celebration of today and those with us on the track and in our hearts, and a step forward in our fight back toward a brighter tomorrow."](http://www.mypapernow.com/Other/Bloomingdale-Relay-For-Life/i-46LRFZP/1/Ti/DSC_0123-Ti.jpg "The most solemn time of each Relay for Life is when the lights go out and the luminarias are lit. Pam Farinas, with Justice Gennari looking on, offered these words in explanation to the participants at the 2010 Bloomingdale Relay for Life at Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, Fla.
The Luminaria Ceremony
\"The Luminaria Ceremony is an opportunity fo rus to come together and remember why we're here at Relay. I'd like to ask that everyone respect the meaning this ceremony carries by remaining silent.
\"I would like to begin by asking how we can properly say thank you to all of those who are involved in the care of our cancer patients? I refer first to professionals, to those who devote their life's work to caring for cancer patients. You make a tremendous difference to patients and their families. We are often healed and always helped by your doctoring, your nursing, your ministering, and your caring.
\"And to those family and friends who are, in the truest sense, givers of care. Cancer turns lives upside down. Relationships, loyalties, and friendships are tested. But you who care for loved ones with cancer have always been there with love and support. You sustained their suffering, gave them strength, and enabled them to persevere. You helped your loved ones endure treatment, the trauma of hair loss, pain, and sometimes debilitation. You shared in their joy, suffering, triumphs, and setbacks. The diagnosis of cancer can [lead to] a very long journey, one that is very difficult to travel alone. However, with your support you have provided your loved ones with hope.
\"We have all heard it said that one's attitude makes a difference in surviving cancer. In reality, one's attitude makes a difference in every aspect of life whether you're a cancer patient or not. The way we approach each day, whether sick or well, makes a difference in how we live and how we affect those around us. The truth is that each of the loved ones we honor tonight, those who have died of cancer and those who are surviving, all are courageous and strong fighters each in their own way.
\"We will always remember the victims of cancer who were a part of our lives. This is a time for us to grieve for those we've lost. It's a time for us to reflect on how the disease has touched each of us personally. And it's a time for us to look inside ourselves with quiet reflection and find hope. Because no matter what our experience with cancer has been, we all share the hope that we will one day live in a world where our children and their children will never have to hear the words, 'You have cancer.'
\"Tonight our track is illuminated by luminaria. Each one represents a treasured relationship. They represent people and each has a name and a story to tell. They are our mothers, our fathers, our sisters, our brothers, our sons, our daughters, our friends, and our loved ones. About those we remember with these luminarias who have died, I say:
\"You whose memory we honor tonight, this light represents the love we share. It still burns for others to see but it burns brightest in our hearts and souls. You were and always will be a part of us. Though we do not see you, we know you are with us.
\"For those survivors who are here tonight we offer our support, our prayers, our hope and expectation for healing and a cure.
\"As the luminarias glow through the night, they represent our shared vision for a cancer-free future. We love the people these luminarias represent so let us remember them, celebrate them, and fight back against this disease for them.
:At this time, I invite everyone to join together in the walking of a lap of silence in honor or in memory of someone close to you who has battled cancer. Let each step be in remembrance of our experiences and those special people we've shared them with, a celebration of today and those with us on the track and in our hearts, and a step forward in our fight back toward a brighter tomorrow.\"")
The overnight Bloomingdale Relay for Life kicked off at Bloomingdale High School on March 26, 2010, with survivor Sarah Goodman holding the American Cancer Society Relay for Life banner with her parents, Keith and Tami, and sister, Stephanie.
For Sarah Goodman, her cancer journey started with "a walk to music class," when she fell and suffered a hairline fracture, said Tami Goodman. When the cast came off, Sarah's arm started to shake, which was attributed to its weeks-long immobilization. Then the headaches, which were written off to allergies. Then the vision issues and her husband said, "Something's up. All this is adding up." Then it did: brain tumor.
"It was like a bomb just hit you," Tami Goodman said. And the word, "inoperable" didn't sit well with the Goodmans, who kept the fight up right alongside their daughter and eventually found two out of four doctors who said yes to operation.
The point, Tami Goodman said, is to keep the faith, keep the focus, and fight for the life of your child. As Keith Goodman put it in his opening remarks to the Relay crowd: "Through the grace of God and a lot of prayer we found a way out."
As for Sarah, her only complaint at the Relay was the down time for speeches. "I just want to have fun," she said. "I don't want to talk!"
Related Coverage:
My Paper Now is dedicated to covering the Relay experience in Hillsborough's East End. Explore the story further with the links below:
For Sarah Goodman, her cancer journey started with "a walk to music class," when she fell and suffered a hairline fracture, said Tami Goodman. When the cast came off, Sarah's arm started to shake, which was attributed to its weeks-long immobilization. Then the headaches, which were written off to allergies. Then the vision issues and her husband said, "Something's up. All this is adding up." Then it did: brain tumor.
"It was like a bomb just hit you," Tami Goodman said. And the word, "inoperable" didn't sit well with the Goodmans, who kept the fight up right alongside their daughter and eventually found two out of four doctors who said yes to operation.
The point, Tami Goodman said, is to keep the faith, keep the focus, and fight for the life of your child. As Keith Goodman put it in his opening remarks to the Relay crowd: "Through the grace of God and a lot of prayer we found a way out."
As for Sarah, her only complaint at the Relay was the down time for speeches. "I just want to have fun," she said. "I don't want to talk!"
Related Coverage:
My Paper Now is dedicated to covering the Relay experience in Hillsborough's East End. Explore the story further with the links below:
- The 2009 Bloomingdale Relay For Life
- The 2010 Greater Brandon Relay For Life
- The 2009 Greater Brandon Relay For Life
- The 2010 Newsome Relay For Life
- The 2009 Newsome Relay For Life
- The 2010 Riverview Relay For Life
- The 2009 Riverview Relay For Life
- The 2010 Plant City Relay For Life
- The 2009 Plant City Relay For Life
- The Survivor Musical Tribute performed by 13 Ares 6 schools at the 2010 PCE Relay For Life
American Cancer Society Relay for Life banner with her parents, Keith and Tami, and sister, Stephanie.
For Sarah Goodman, her cancer journey started with "a walk to music class," when she fell and suffered a hairline fracture, said Tami Goodman. When the cast came off, Sarah's arm started to shake, which was attributed to its weeks-long immobilization. Then the headaches, which were written off to allergies. Then the vision issues and her husband said, "Something's up. All this is adding up." Then it did: brain tumor.
"It was like a bomb just hit you," Tami Goodman said. And the word, "inoperable" didn't sit well with the Goodmans, who kept the fight up right alongside their daughter and eventually found two out of four doctors who said yes to operation.
The point, Tami Goodman said, is to keep the faith, keep the focus, and fight for the life of your child. As Keith Goodman put it in his opening remarks to the Relay crowd: "Through the grace of God and a lot of prayer we found a way out."
As for Sarah, her only complaint at the Relay was the down time for speeches. "I just want to have fun," she said. "I don't want to talk!"
Related Coverage:
My Paper Now is dedicated to covering the Relay experience in Hillsborough's East End. Explore the story further with the links below:
- The 2009 Bloomingdale Relay For Life
- The 2010 Greater Brandon Relay For Life
- The 2009 Greater Brandon Relay For Life
- The 2010 Newsome Relay For Life
- The 2009 Newsome Relay For Life
- The 2010 Riverview Relay For Life
- The 2009 Riverview Relay For Life
- The 2010 Plant City Relay For Life
- The 2009 Plant City Relay For Life
- The Survivor Musical Tribute performed by 13 Ares 6 schools at the 2010 PCE Relay For Life
The overnight Bloomingdale Relay for Life kicked off at Bloomingdale High School on March 26, 2010, with survivor Sarah Goodman holding the American Cancer Society Relay for Life banner with her parents, Keith and Tami, and sister, Stephanie.
For Sarah Goodman, her cancer journey started with "a walk to music class," when she fell and suffered a hairline fracture, said Tami Goodman. When the cast came off, Sarah's arm started to shake, which was attributed to its weeks-long immobilization. Then the headaches, which were written off to allergies. Then the vision issues and her husband said, "Something's up. All this is adding up." Then it did: brain tumor.
"It was like a bomb just hit you," Tami Goodman said. And the word, "inoperable" didn't sit well with the Goodmans, who kept the fight up right alongside their daughter and eventually found two out of four doctors who said yes to operation.
The point, Tami Goodman said, is to keep the faith, keep the focus, and fight for the life of your child. As Keith Goodman put it in his opening remarks to the Relay crowd: "Through the grace of God and a lot of prayer we found a way out."
As for Sarah, her only complaint at the Relay was the down time for speeches. "I just want to have fun," she said. "I don't want to talk!"
Related Coverage:
My Paper Now is dedicated to covering the Relay experience in Hillsborough's East End. Explore the story further with the links below:
For Sarah Goodman, her cancer journey started with "a walk to music class," when she fell and suffered a hairline fracture, said Tami Goodman. When the cast came off, Sarah's arm started to shake, which was attributed to its weeks-long immobilization. Then the headaches, which were written off to allergies. Then the vision issues and her husband said, "Something's up. All this is adding up." Then it did: brain tumor.
"It was like a bomb just hit you," Tami Goodman said. And the word, "inoperable" didn't sit well with the Goodmans, who kept the fight up right alongside their daughter and eventually found two out of four doctors who said yes to operation.
The point, Tami Goodman said, is to keep the faith, keep the focus, and fight for the life of your child. As Keith Goodman put it in his opening remarks to the Relay crowd: "Through the grace of God and a lot of prayer we found a way out."
As for Sarah, her only complaint at the Relay was the down time for speeches. "I just want to have fun," she said. "I don't want to talk!"
Related Coverage:
My Paper Now is dedicated to covering the Relay experience in Hillsborough's East End. Explore the story further with the links below:
- The 2009 Bloomingdale Relay For Life
- The 2010 Greater Brandon Relay For Life
- The 2009 Greater Brandon Relay For Life
- The 2010 Newsome Relay For Life
- The 2009 Newsome Relay For Life
- The 2010 Riverview Relay For Life
- The 2009 Riverview Relay For Life
- The 2010 Plant City Relay For Life
- The 2009 Plant City Relay For Life
- The Survivor Musical Tribute performed by 13 Ares 6 schools at the 2010 PCE Relay For Life
Copyright 2008-10. All Rights Reserved. My Paper Now.