Relay for Life profiles: John Boyd

John Boyd

People help out with Relay for Life for different reasons. Over the next few weeks, let’s hear from some of the folks who are doing the Relay this year. This week, here’s what John Boyd (Sponsorship Chair) has to say:

I always thought that the Boy Scout motto of “be prepared” was an apt one.  You just never know what life may spring on you, so being prepared seems prudent.  So we put away some groceries, flashlights, and water for a power outage.  We sign up for health, auto, life insurance to protect us from accidents.  We teach our kids to “just say no” and try to prepare them for life.

But nothing I do can prepare me for when cancer comes into the picture.  For us, it was a diagnosis of my wife with breast cancer just before Thanksgiving 2007.  When you hear the word cancer, it makes you want to just retreat from the world and try to figure out a way to cope.  Fortunately for my wife and me, we live in a community where friends come out of the woodwork to offer you support, hugs, prayers, or whatever is needed to get through the days.

A key factor in that support structure is the work of the American Cancer Society and the Relay for Life.  My wife and niece had participated in a Relay event in 2005 to honor my sister-in-law who had passed away from breast cancer.  Now we were faced with cancer in our own home, and it just seemed natural to walk in the 2008 Relay event.  So I decided to become a team captain and we gathered a team of friends, and hit up everyone we knew for donations (some of you more than once!)

And then the night of the event, and it was a very moving night.  We were walking to honor my wife’s successful treatments for her cancer, and we also walked to honor every person who had been touched by cancer either directly, or for a spouse, family member, or friend.  I was there the entire night, walking, or joking with friends.  The night passed swiftly, and the spirit of camaraderie grew as our energy levels began dwindling.  But with the sunrise, our energy perked back up.  As the final lap drew near, I took a long moment to reflect on how lucky we were to have such a great team walking with us.  How great our community was to come out and support us.  Our local businesses who came through with sponsorships to make the event that much more enjoyable.

I was so moved by the spirit of compassion and kindness and giving that I decided I would not only be a team captain, but join the Relay Committee.  I can’t wait for July 25th.  I know what I’m doing now.  Our team is experienced now, and knows what to expect.  2008 was a great year, but I think 2009 will be even better.

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