The Relay for Life held at St. St. John’s School in Garson was truly a beautiful experience.

The Catholic Women’s League of St. John the Evangelist Parish was approached by Irene Raymond, a teacher at the school to assist with the relay. Her enthusiasm won us over instantly. What a treasure St. John’s school has in Irene.

Our CWL members were led by Doreen Merkas with this endeavor. Seventy-five luminaries were sold at the church “In Support of” and “In Memory of” friends and family members with cancer, and about another 80 or 90 were sold at the school. Many of the bags were decorated by the school children. On the day before the relay we (Doreen Merkas, Elaine Lamarche, Sue Quackenbush, Joan Cull, Rachel Corbett, Marie Bardswich, Biddy Farrell, Vi Johnston, Lil Bergeron, Edee Kirwan and Sandra Belanger) met in the gym and readied the bags for the ceremony.

A table had been set up honoring Robbie Sullivan, Travis MacInnis and Cassandra Patterson, students who had lost their lives to cancer.

Friday morning dawned sunny and warm.

The Relay for Life opened with an assembly in the gymnasium of all the school children, their teachers, the cancer survivors and their family and friends who would walk the “Survivors Lap” along side them, members of the community and CWL members wearing our scarves.

The walk began with the “Survivors Lap” with our members walking in place of Elaine Lamarche as she had become ill during the night and was unable to attend. The children stood in the center of the track and cheered on the walkers. Our members then lit the luminaries while the children walked the track and attended various workshops set up for them.

This was followed by a Prayer Service in the gym with Bishop Noel Simard in attendance. The principal Trisha Dowdall-Cirelli read a book called Hope to the children. This was followed by a Prayer Service in which children took turns doing readings and the Prayers of the Faithful. Bishop Noel Simard did the Gospel reading and spoke to the children. He explained to them that by joining together to do something to help people as they had done today it made something small turn into something big. He encouraged them to keep on helping others.

Irene Raymond made a few more announcements and the lights were turned off. Only the luminary bags commemorating those who had lost their battle with cancer and those who were still fighting their battle, shone in the darkness for the moment of silence……

As I said in the beginning … this was truly a beautiful experience … it touched the hearts of many.  The opportunity of Church, School and Community joining together for such a meaningful event is a most wonderful happening … a blessing in itself!