Arizona YLP with Azerbaijan Finalists Help to Organize the Relay for Life – Red Mountain GYSD Event

The Red Mountain High School Team at the Relay
for Life Event

Rajan Patel, Abbie Sharkey, and Alyssa Vossler worked together with their fellow students to take part in the Relay for Life at Red Mountain.   Relay for Life is a nationwide fundraising event to help find the cure to cancer. The 2012 Relay for Life at Red Mountain had 1,037 participants, 93 teams, and raised over $76,368 for the battle to find the cure to cancer. 

YLP with Azerbaijan finalists set up booths to sell various products to other participants to raise money towards the cause.  Aside from fundraising, scores of people take to the track in order to show their support of the physical battle with cancer, with someone from every team walking at all times. "Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back" is written on their shirts as they walk in the heat of the Arizona sun determined to make a difference. Survivors of cancer are also invited to the event, allowing them to join in the fun and allowing others to celebrate their intense battle with one of the world’s most deadly diseases. Fundraising continued through the night in Arizona and into the hours of early morning, during which "Hope, Cope, and Cure" was spelled out with candles on bleachers to round off the event.

Abbie Sharkey and Rajan Patel serve snow
cones to raise funds going towards
the research of cancer.

"Relay for life means a lot to me and I believe that it is extremely important to me that we keep on working to find a cure to the deadly disease of cancer,” said YLP with Azerbaijan Finalist Abbie Sharkey upon completion of the event, “It was so motivating and inspiring to see all the survivors and cancer patients at the event.” Students from across Mesa, Arizona attended Red Mountain High School’s Relay for Life event on April 21, 2012, a tradition upheld by the school for years. “This was my first relay, but my experience here today has certainly made me want to come back in the future,” said student and YLP with Azerbaijan Finalist Rajan Patel, “I never knew fundraising could be this fun!” The event certainly inspired students and adults alike to take action against cancer, and encouraged people of all ages to speak up and help understand the cause behind Relay for Life. Many attendees continue to come back year after year to show their support. As YLP with Azerbaijan Finalist Alyssa Vossler stated, “This is in honor of those who have lost the battle of cancer and for those who are still fighting back. Someday soon, we hope that there is a cure for cancer.” 

 Relay for Life events took place throughout the Phoenix Metro area. Teams range from school teams to community and family teams, and people of all ages and backgrounds join in order to support the world’s fight against cancer. The goal of each event is a simple one: raise as much money during the year as you can, and donate all proceeds to fund the research of various types of cancer. Every year in April, the nation’s teams gather at the Relay events in order to raise awareness of the fight against cancer, and raise even more money towards research.