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Relay for Lifeon the GreenApril 24th - 25th, 2009 |
| As Outing Clubbers who love to hike, any excuse to spend 18 hours straight trekking in circles around the campus green is just too good to pass up. So when Clark's first ever Relay for Life event to benefit the American Cancer Society finally arrived, Team Outing Club was ripe for the challenge. Thanks to our team captain Ashley's enthusiasm, we amassed 12 members and raised over $1,300, putting us near the top of the pack by both measures. |
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We gathered on the Green at 5:30 PM on a warm Friday afternoon, and after Ashley and Nora created enough of a spectacle to get their
picture in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette,
our first order of business was to set up our campsite. Nora and Michelle work on tent #3, which was definitely the cutest of our trio.
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As the sun sets, Kenzie, Michelle and Nora put the finishing touches on the tent.
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Waiting for their turn to walk, Rachel and Dylan pass the time sharing stories and playing games. 
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Meanwhile, Kenzie and Michelle prepare to start tossing the bomb. Later, a bunch of us got together for a game of Scattergories.
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On the main stage, Clark's Battle of the Bands played on. Here's "Lamp Attack", a Ska band and one of our favorites,
which ended up winning 1st prize.
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In front of the stage, Krittika and Kenzie share a bonding moment. At right, Rachel, Kenzie, Krittika, Kim, Dylan and David watch the show. Say "cheese" guys! Are we always this outrageously happy? 
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As the hours passed, our team members took turns walking the course in pairs, with a goal of always keeping at least two members moving. At 10PM came the great donut rush of 2009. Our team had just picked up a huge donation of donuts from a nearby shop, and word traveled fast (with a little help from Kim). Suddenly swarms of relayers descended upon our campsite from every direction for their nightly sugar fix. Apparently we'd discovered the pefect bait for attracting new members to our ranks. Eventually the donuts ran out and life returned to normal. We kept walking all night. The wee morning hours were quietest, and the number of people on the course thinnned out. Krittika fell asleep in front of the outdoor movie screen watching "300". Greg, Kenzie and Rachel walked from 2AM-3AM, and then Dylan and Greg kept the pace for next 2 1/2 hours. At 4:25AM, they heard the first bird start chirping. Two minutes later, every bird on campus had joined in. At 4:55AM, the first sign of daylight appeared. At 5:05AM, the pouring rain came. It awoke Krittika, who made a mad dash back to the tents. Two minutes later, the rain stopped. At 6AM, Kenzie reappeared with freshly brewed coffee for us. Kenzie is our hero! As the sun rose and the green sprung back to life, more relayers began re-emerging from their tents. |
Greg stayed on the course while the rest of us grabbed a quick breakfast at Annie's, and then we took our turns. Kenzie and Willa walked the loop while
singing 80s pop songs. Later, as noon approached, our whole team jumped in and did the final lap together, clapping and cheering in a valiant - if
slightly unsuccessful - attempt to get all of the relayers to join us. |
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Despite all the fun and games, it wasn't all fun and games. There were somber gatherings which reminded us of why we were all there, including a cancer survivor's lap at the opening ceremony and a luminaria ceremony to remember friends and family who have battled cancer. At the closing ceremony, we all gathered in the warm sun of the green as Nicki and Emily - two of our event organizers - wrapped things up on stage. Collectively, the event raised over $20,000 toward the fight against cancer. For us, it was an important and memorable 18 hours. 
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