Rolling the Track at the Relay For Life Event

What have you done in the community in the last couple months? Attend an event, help someone or just go to movies?

I attended an overnight charity event on April 13 and 1, called Relay for Life. You may be wondering how I was treated by others since I am in a wheelchair, well hold on we will get there.

Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.

At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.Relayers do not have to walk all night, but each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event.

You may be wondering how someone with a disability participates at this event. The answer is, like anyone else would!

I arrived at the event early so I could help setup and got everything going. Relay started and I helped at our tent for a couple hours, selling food, drinks and other things. I got on the track and started rolling, yes that’s right a man in a wheelchair was about to make a lap around the track!

I circled the track looking at what all the teams were doing and what I wanted to buy. I kept making my way around the track and the whole way around I kept hearing people call my name and cheer me on, wow! Now if it ended here, this would be a worthless blog to read, but it doesn’t.

They had many different activities for teams to participate in the whole night, talent/non talent show, pie eating contest, karaoke and much more. Well guess what, this fellow entered into many of the activities. One was the talented show, so I decided I would do something different and get up in front of everyone and dance in my wheelchair to this upbeat song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGnm9uwu0gs). Man did I bust a move and everyone was shouting and cheering me on the whole time.

Another was the whip cream pie and the first one to find the whistle with their mouth and blow it won. Sorry to say but I came in third but that was not the end for me, so I decided to take the whole pie and smash it in my own face. Everyone laughed and had a great time.

Most people with disabilities are so afraid what others will think, that they sit at home and do nothing. That can change if they just decide to get out there and do because people will accept you, and if they don’t forget them because it’s your life and you will be living it like you want. No more sitting on your behinds and feeling sorry for yourself, it will get you nowhere!

Remember, get out into the community. Have fun. Live your life and keep squeaking those wheels.

2 comments

  1. Jeremy says:

    Go TJ!! Keep up the good work! 🙂

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