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Health & Fitness

Relay for Life: Success Comes Through Challenges

Relay for Life Co-Chair Brendan Eappon explains the various challenges that came with Relay for Life 2012.

Relay for Life at has always been a huge hit for several years for the communities of Weston and Wayland. I personally have participated the last three years as either a walker, volunteer, team captain, or event walk-in just coming to enjoy the vibrant and active environment that comes with Relay for Life.

Unfortunately, this year, I couldn’t make it to Relay, but I spoke with my good friend and classmate, Brendan Eappon, to learn more about Saturday’s event.

"Weston and Wayland students had a fantastic night celebrating the role they played in fighting cancer,” says Eappon, Relay For Life co-chair. “We enjoyed a beautiful evening and night for the event, and everyone there had a blast!"

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Eappen adds, "We faced some new challenges this year, including a new venue. This year, we were at the Claypit Hill School in Wayland. We pulled off a great event and made the most out of our site, but we recognize a number of advantages to having the event at one of the high schools... We lost the track, access to power, our stadium lighting, and a lot of participants who didn't want to leave our home turf, and participants equate to funds."

The location change, I will admit, was a huge challenge for the participants. For my friends, and most people in my grade, the five-minute drive to Wayland was too much of a haul or too much of a change from what we have experienced all three years of high school. Relay is a huge event for Weston High School students and in addition, many chaperones noted they would feel more comfortable if the area were contained by a fence, like at the WHS track.

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"Safety, fundraising, and joyful participation are the most important elements of our event, and we can do better on each next year at Weston High School's track."

Despite these challenges, Eappen asserts, "We had a very successful event, no significant issues, and a strong foundation of Relay enthusiasm for next year!"

Remarkably, the 2012 Relay for Life fundraiser raised around $23,000 for the American Cancer Society. Thank you to everyone who partook! 

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