Chris had to work and the girls were at a friends house so I went alone. When I got there I was greeted by the Bosom Buddies who gave me several gifts, including hugs, and a free, purple "survivor" shirt. I met up with our team and asked the team leader to accompany me to the survivor lap. This is where all of the purple shirts get to make a lap on the track before meeting their caregivers at the finish line. Before we started, we were told to get in a line and announce our names, what type of cancer we have, and how long we've been a survivor. I was really nervous because everybody was saying things like "Molly Smith, breast cancer, 7 years" and I was just diagnosed in January! So after a quick calculation, I stated "Crystal Hofmann, breast cancer, 10 months." Luckily I had several fans in the audience which cheered me on, but it was still tough to say out loud. I guess I'll announce that more proudly when I've been out of the fog longer, but for now, it felt like my worst nightmare had come true- I just announced to everybody I have a disease! It's like going to AA and saying you're an alcoholic. It's tough to say out loud. Then, a girl about Jenna's age said her name, and some cancer that was tough to pronounce (I think it was something that ended in "blastoma") and then she said "I beat the big C this year and I am walking today for my friend who I hope beats it too!" It was hard to hold back the tears.
Afterward I got to make the survivor walk with a lot of people who also work for the school district. It was crazy to see how many of us there were. The team leader met me on the other side so I wasn't alone. Thanks Felicia.
I left after that, but later that night I came back with Jenna to see the luminaries. I was told it would be worth seeing. They were right. It was so beautiful to see them all lit up around the track. People were able to purchase them to dedicate to someone, and Jenna and I had fun finding ones that said my name on them. It was very heartwarming to see so many anonymous students that care about me. It was also very sad to see others crying as they walked, and the hundreds of victims and survivors names surrounding the track.
The relay went on for 24 hours, going from 9 am on a Saturday to 9 am on a Sunday. In the end, The Paws for the Cause team raised $10,800!!! They exceeded their $10,000 goal! They were the top team overall and top high school. They also won the Spirit Point trophy! It was so amazing to be a part of this day, and I will certainly never forget it. I will definitely be more involved next year.