WATERLOO — At Relay for Life on Friday, Hawkeye Community College was lit up with luminaria honoring the spirit of those who won their fight against cancer, some who lost, and those still fighting.
Vibrant energy, colorful T-shirts and celebration of life filled the campus. Participants were unified by their shared experiences and a common goal to aid the fight against the disease.
The annual American Cancer Society fundraiser in Black Hawk County is one of more than 5,000 events held in 25 countries. It began with an opening ceremony where participants took a kick-off lap, followed by a reception where survivors and caregivers shared their stories, including 2018 Cancer Survivor of the Year, Brittney Jungen.
The survivor/caregivers walk began at 6:30 p.m. led by Jungen and caregivers. Later, luminaries were lit and names were read in honor of survivors and those lost to cancer. The event closed with a fireworks display.
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Team Hope Grows has participated in Relay for Life for six years. Team member Abby Rippe became involved in 2013 when her mother was honored as the survivor of the year. They formed a team of family and friends around her and have attended ever since.
Rippe and her teammate, Monica Winkowitsch, agreed one of the best things about Relay for Life is the familiar faces.
“You kind of start knowing where everybody is, who they are, what their team is, and just the way that people come out and support their family members or their friends,” Rippe said.
Winkowitsch talked about the bags that contain the luminaria, decorated by friends family in honor of survivors and those who passed away.
“You realize how many people cancer has taken in our community. It makes you more and more driven all the time to be active for the cause,” Winkowitsch said.
Team Hope Grows participates in both Relay for Life and Bark for Life. That event celebrates “canine caregivers” who support cancer patients.
Candy Nardini, an event organizer, has been involved with Relay for Life for 15 years.
“I think it’s just to show that we do have that hope,” said Nardini.
Nardini believes reading the names of those who have lost the fight serves as a reminder they are not forgotten.
“When they read my mom’s name, it’s to hear her name and go, ‘Yes. People remember.’”
Angela Payne will be a seven-year cancer survivor in July. She has been participating for six years.
She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 29.
“It’s such an encouraging place to be, to walk alongside people who have gone through what you have,” Payne said. “Everyone’s story is so different, so I don’t claim to know what somebody else has felt like, but it’s such an encouragement to be here and just celebrate life.”