Relay for Life has been a long-standing tradition in Bloomsburg every spring. Hundreds gather at the rec center to help raise money for cancer research. Survivors, caretakers and supporters alike all walk the track for 12 hours to hopefully bring themselves one-step closer to finding a cure. There are events every hour to keep participants entertained and awake. This year’s theme was Dr. Seuss.
This was Cait Doyle’s second Relay; she did it as a freshman but did not stay the entire time. This time however, Doyle was determined to stay for the entire event. “It’s kind of like cheating if you don’t stay all 12 hours.” Doyle said that she Relays for her aunt and her grandmother. When asked why she decided to do Relay in her last year at Bloom she added “Why not? Everyone should do it eventually.” She also said that some of her favorite events at Relay were the creativity of everyone there and what they do with their table and the theme. Doyle said she also liked that this year there was an option for five dollar haircuts to donate your hair.
This is the first year this was done and it was well received. Doyle, much like the other participants braved the urge to sleep by dancing it up at their tables and drinking lots of coffee. One event that always earns a lot of attention and doubles as a fundraiser is the Miss Relay Pageant. It is not your run of the mill beauty pageant, it is a drag pageant.
Images by: Ed Murphy/TheVoice
Men from the different teams dress up in their best evening gowns and swimsuits in an effort to win the title of Miss Relay 2017. One participant, Matt Lattanzio who is a freshman entered the pageant under the name Martha. This was his first Relay but not his first time dressing up for the cause. Lattanzio participated in the March of Dimes 12-hour lock in at his high school and said that is one of the reasons he joined in on the fun this year. When asked if he was going to continue to participate in relay over the next three years he said “Of course, always.”
He came in second at the pageant and says it was a “bittersweet feeling,” but it was for a good cause so he could not be that mad. When asked why he decided to do Relay, he responded with this “Everybody is affected by cancer, [Relay] is a very noble way to raise money and awareness.” He added, “Just because Relay is over doesn’t mean you can’t help anymore.” Relay raised over $44,000 with 1,100 volunteers and 77 teams participating.