Just curious as to why they would do it at night, and in the middle of the night...when days would be so much better for everyone?
@TheTruthHurts: There is strong symbolism in this. Cancer does not sleep, so neither do
we. Relay For Life starts at dusk and ends at the next day's morning.
The light and darkness of the day and night parallel the physical
effects, emotions, and mental state of a cancer patient while undergoing
treatment.Relay starts when the sun is going down. This
symbolizes the time that a person has been diagnosed with cancer. The
day is getting darker and this represents the cancer patient's state of
mind as they feel that their life may be coming to an end. Just as
darkness brings an uncertainty of what the night will hold, being
diagnosed brings a feeling of uncertainty.As the evening
progresses it usually gets cooler, darker and quieter, just as the
emotions of the cancer patient do. Around 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
represents the time when the cancer patient starts treatment. They
become exhausted, sick, not wanting to go on, possibly wanting to give
up. As participants walk or run, they also are tired, perhaps feeling a
bit weaker and not wanting to go on. But just as cancer does not
sleep, neither do we.The sun rising represents the end of
treatment for the cancer patient. They see the light at the end of
their tunnel and know that life will go on. They are still tired, but
the morning light brings an excitement about looking ahead to the
future. Participants are tired, but know that the end of Relay is
nearing and that they still have many great days ahead of them.REMEMBER: There is NO finish line until we find a cure.
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