By: Aggie Rieger
The North Kansas City School District Youth Relay for Life began the evening of Friday, May 6 with blue skies and a mass of students carrying blankets and coolers. The events of the night seemed to be so close.
“[We want to] just have fun, have a good time and hopefully help a lot of people,” said Winnetonka senior Layton Barkema.
Registration began approximately at 7 p.m. Team captains and chaperones, wearing blue and orange shirts, signed in their teams, received bracelets and turned in money at their school’s table, staffed by leadership students.
“Right now it’s stressful,” said Student Council president senior Haley Cope, “but later on it’s really fulfilling. It’s nice to know you did something that makes a difference.”
Entrance to the DAC was delayed due to double booking on the schedule by fault of the district. Relay for Life participants had to wait for the end of a track meet to enter the field.
“We booked it in December, they [the district] bumped us April 7,” said Student Council sponsor Bryan Edinger. “It was a horrible decision.”
The conflict gave president to the track meet, leaving Relay for Life with the task of moving everything to the track meet, leaving Relay for Life with the task of moving everything about the event back, including the survivor dinner, hosted by Northtown. Also, according to Edinger, many students were not aware the events had been moved back, causing confusion.
“Just the process of going and telling everyone involved in the event that everything was pushed back [was difficult],” said Northtown senior Alex Beauchamp.
Still, before the event students were excited.
“I had family members that had cancer and anything to help them, it makes me feel good,” said Staley freshman Jake Phillip.
Principal Fred Skretta, who was diagnosed with cancer seven years ago on Friday, May 13, was also pumped for the night.
“It’s exciting, it’s really exciting,” he said. “The survivor lap is cool, but it’s probably the luminariums [that are my favorite], it really just lights up the night.”
Most students looked foreword to the games and hanging out with friends. Everyone looked foreword to something.
“It’s going to be a long night,” Phillips said.
Relay began with an announcement to all participants from the press box. Four personal cancer stories were told for participants.
“Keep on keeping on no matter what the weather does, no matter what cancer does,” Skretta said to the field, acknowledging that weather was a concern.
The announcements lead to the survivor lap.
“It means a lot to me because it means I’m actually alive,” said cancer survivor Micah Carter. “I got it when I was 15, I thought it was something that wouldn’t happen to me.”
Across the district, schools and students partook in a variety of activities to prepare for the event. Students went door to door asking for donations, had car washed, bake sales, bingo nights, dance parties and donated money themselves among other things, all for cancer research.
“It’s my favorite part of my job, to work with high schools,” said Community Manager of Development Jonnae Hill. “They put their personal touch on it and that’s amazing to me.”
Students left their school colors behind to bond at Relay.
“It’s pretty uplifting,” said Oak Park PTA member Tina Harvey as she served free hot dogs to participants. “It’s like the football field exploded with kids and they’re just having fun.”
While all four high schools of the district took part in Relay, many agreed that there was a much larger presence of Northmen students than any other.
“It doesn’t feel like a district event, it feels like an Oak Park event that we’ve invited others to come and play with us,” said physics teacher and 6th year Relay participant Bill Dennis. “I think Dr. Skretta provides a good deal of that [enthusiasm] and our student council has just done an excellent job to lead the event.”
Reasons for the lack of involvement from other schools vary. Northtowne, according to student council sponsor Randy Jackson, was at its lowest turnout because Gold Medallion exhibitions have been taking place over the last two weeks and International Baccalaureate students are beginning testing. Winnetonka’s prom took place the next day, and so, according to Tonka students, many decided not to participate. Many students from Staley did not join a Relay team for other reasons.
“The ‘cool kids’ feel they’re too cool for this event. So they want to go hang out with friends instead of supporting a good cause,” said Staley sophomore Steeld Reeder.
Others agreed.
“People think they’re too cool for it,” said fellow Staley sophomore Andy Runbauth.
Although numbers were low compared to past years, just under $21,000 was raised total. Individually, if students raised at least $100, they were given purple wristbands and allowed to stay the night, until 6 am March 7. At least, that was the initial plan.
At 10:31 pm a meeting was held with Student Councils sponsors and Hill. The decision was made to end the event at midnight and send students home, due to possible weather.
The announcement was met with disappointment.
“I knew it was supposed to rain,” said sophomore Nicholas Espeland, “but I didn’t know it was going to storm.”
The final decision was made by Staley, who was the hosting school.
“I want to stay,” said sophomore Joe Pittala. “I’ve been waiting for this for a while and it’s just canceled.”
The option of moving the entire Relay to inside of Staley high school was bounced around, but it was decided that there were too many entrances and exits to the school to be a safe environment. Also, the task of moving students and the liability involved was deemed too much.
“I think they’re [students are] going to be disappointed but we don’t want to risk safety and parents will appreciate the fact that we’re protecting their children,” said Winnetonka’s Relay Sponsor Gaylen Mast.
The luminarium lap was moved up to 11:00. As the students took the lap, the track surrounded by luminariums of those who lost their lives to the disease students were fighting and those who struggle to fight off cancer, they remembered what the night was really about.
“I think it’s moving. I think it shows how it touches every life, how many people have had cancer,” said team sponsor and cancer survivor Lori Garnos. “I think there is hope and I think there will be a cure and I think it will be in my lifetime.”
Students had to leave the field earlier than anticipated, but the money was still raised and fun was still had.
Skretta said, “Oak Park dominated [tonight].”
