North Houston Networking Eliminators walk for Cancer at Northwest Houston relay for life!

The North Houston Networking Eliminators walked for Cancer at the Northwest Houston Cancer relay Friday night April 18, 2008.  The North Houston Networking eliminators happen to be the North Houston Networking Group; a business and professional organization designed to promote professional development among its members.  This was the second year that the group has walked in the Cancer relay.  I really was not too sure about missing a night of sleep but I am part of the group so agreed to do the walk.

We walked at the track at Strack Intermediate School.  It started at 7:00 Friday night and went until 7:00 the following morning.  It started off with a beautiful opening ceremony.  Our own member Valerie Hill with Mannatech sang the National Anthem.  She sang several other songs throughout the night.

The first lap was walked by cancer survivors.  I was amazed at how many survivors walked.  There must have been 75 to 100 people walking.  They were all ages and many were quite young.  All of the cancer survivors wore a purple shirt.  I was surprised to see a lady I knew walking with a purple shirt on; I had no idea she was a cancer survivor.  She was the only cancer survivor that I knew but this was a local relay for the Spring area so I saw several people I knew out walking for cancer that night.

Each team was to have someone walking on the track all night long.  Our team captain was Barbara Frank with Polk Majestic Travel.  Barbara did an incredible job of organization.  She kept us informed prior to the walk with emails and had our walk completely organized.    Each team had a place to set up their camp sites.  Some sites were very fancy and others just had sleeping bags thrown on the ground.  It really didn't matter it was all about being there.

There was something going on all night long.  Each team came up with a game and they were played in the middle of the field.   There were special laps throughout the night such as the noisemaker lap, the sunglass lap, the crazy hat lap, the beach ball lap etc.  We would walk those special laps as a team. 

There was also a silent auction that went on.  The quilt that you see on the stage was one of the silent auction items.  Each team donated a silent auction item and then you were welcome to donate other items.  Close to $3000 was raised from the silent auction alone.  I'm not sure how much the total fundraiser raised the goal was $75,000 and it appears they will bypass that. 

I really like my sleep and was asked why I would miss a night's sleep for this.  Why not just donate some money? I had a two-fold reason for walking.  As many of you know I lost a neighbor recently from pancreatic cancer.  She found out she had cancer at the first of the year and was gone by March.  Charlene was going through this when the walk was being organized.  The problem with pancreatic cancer is that by the time people figure out they have it the cancer is in an advanced stage.  This year I walked in memory of Charlene.

The walk was also about celebrating the lives of those that have survived and those that are still fighting.  We had a memory/honor board that we put together for those people that have been touched in our life with cancer.  As many of you know Active Rainer Karen George is presently battling cancer and I added her name to those that are in the middle of the battle.  I have not met Karen personally but she has touched my life and is in my prayers. 

I said there was a two-fold reason that I walked.  The other reason was because I said I would.  Believe me as it came closer I wanted to take those words back because I don't like missing a night of sleep.  We did not have to stay all night and next year I might take that option.   This year I said I would so I did.

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