“Friends of Mary Sue” is just one team name of 35 participating in this Saturday’s Relay For Life of Morgan Hill—but it is one that local event volunteer Jill Davis holds dear to her heart.
Davis, the Relay’s publicity chair in 2014 and the “Bring The People” lead in 2015, is one of those “friends” of the team namesake Mary Sue Sochan—who passed away in December after a five-year battle with ovarian cancer.
“She was an angel on earth. She was just beautifully happy. She had a spirit that made everyone feel welcome and loved,” Davis said of the woman she met nearly a decade ago when their children attended the Charter School of Morgan Hill. “She had an amazing sense of humor until the absolute bitter end. She was something to behold.”
As a former registered nurse, Davis offered to help with any caretaking and even accompanied her friend to doctor’s visits—sometimes translating the medical jargon for family members to better understand.
“She and I became very close,” said Davis, who shared in many a battle with Sochan. Both are parents of children with special needs. “I walked that journey with her and it was quite a privilege to do so.”
Sochan’s spirit will be celebrated May 16-17 at Morgan Hill Community Park through “Friends of Mary Sue” team members, including her three sons, Aleksander, Kristof and Nikolai; and by the Charter School of Morgan Hill’s Relay squad that also includes Kristof and some schoolmates. In addition, husband Mark Sochan—whose brother Paul and his children are flying in from Seattle to also participate—will be playing bass guitar for the band “Hack Jammers” as one of many local acts scheduled to entertain during the American Cancer Society’s 24-hour walkathon.
“It’s a bittersweet thing. It is very emotional because we had participated with Mary Sue in the years she was battling cancer,” said Mark Sochan, whose family just had an emotional weekend, the first without Mary Sue on her birthday May 9 and then Mother’s Day. “We feel really lucky that Morgan Hill is such an incredible community. We have a lot of support here.”
Heading into Relay week, the 35 teams of 241 participants have raised $48,471.26 with even more fundraising to take place at the venue—where Davis reiterated that everyone, event participant or not, is invited to come out and enjoy the day filled with fun activities. Along with local bands, there will be food trucks on site, kids games—including flag football—raffles and a silent auction. All proceeds go directly to the ACS’s fight against cancer.
“The goal we set out last year and we continue this year is to let everyone know that they can come to the event. They don’t have to be a participant to come and enjoy,” Davis said. “We just want people to be a part of this celebration of survivors and memorial to those lost. Our goal is to really get Morgan Hill to see what it’s all about.”
Last year’s event, which raised more than $90,000 in Morgan Hill, was the first in recent years to include a team of employees from City of Morgan Hill—which this year granted permits to Relay organizers for their “Paint the Town Purple” campaign seen throughout the downtown area.
“Every year we’re making strides helping to get the word out,” said Davis, who was excited to announce that new to the 2015 event will be a booth titled “Row to Recovery,” a special program run by volunteers from the Los Gatos Rowing Group. “Mary Sue and I participated in it two summers ago….That was such a wonderful experience.”
The friends, like other cancer patients and their caregivers before them, worked on a crew rowing boat and even participated in a regatta in Redwood City.
“Mary Sue really loved the Relay for Life,” said Davis of Sochan, who regularly participated in the “Survivor walk” lap at the Relay and was the event’s keynote speaker several years back sharing her journey with others.
As for “Friends of Mary Sue,” they will be sporting team T-shirts, designed by Aleksander Sochan, with the slogan, “Walk” on the front side and “Remembering Mary Sue with every step you take” on the back.
What: Relay for Life of Morgan Hill
When: May 16-17, beginning at 10 a.m.
Where: Morgan Hill Community Park (171 W. Edmundson Ave.)
Why: To help in the fight against cancer by raising funds for the American Cancer Society
To donate: Come to the event or visit relayforlife.org/morganhillca
