Many individuals who have had a loved one stricken with cancer are left with a feeling of helplessness—not being able to physically help through the life-threatening battle.
For Morgan Hill resident Nikkie Underhill, a co-event lead for the inaugural Relay For Life of South County, this struggle of not being sure how to help hit home when her friend, Jennifer Pavlcich-Murphy, was diagnosed with breast cancer and later leukemia.
“That’s the reason I initially got involved with the relay, and then I decided to be a co-event lead after Jen passed away,” said the 34-year-old mother of three who is a program manager at General Dynamics Mission Systems.
Pavlcich-Murphy, a instructor at Lana’s Dance Studio, lost her battle with leukemia shortly after the birth of her youngest son, according to Underhill. The young mother also had been in recovery from breast cancer at the time.
To honor her friend, Underhill helped form her first relay team called Jenn’s Rebel Mamas, which is now in its third year participating in the local American Cancer Society fundraiser.
“I think it’s because when you have someone you love going through cancer there’s really not a lot you can do for them. You can be there and offer support but it’s kind of a helpless feeling,” said Underhill. “You can be super deflated or turn it into positive energy. For me, I turned it into positive energy and did something to help others.”
This year, Morgan Hill and Gilroy organizers joined forces—at the request of the American Cancer Society—to form the first Relay For Life of South County, which is scheduled for 10am May 19 through 10am May 20 at Morgan Hill Community Park, located at 171 W. Edmundson Ave. Forty-three teams have already raised $66,841 toward a goal of $113,000.
“It’s a free community event. You can just show up. There are kids activities and live music,” said Underhill, wanting to spread the word of the local relay continues to raise funds throughout the 24-hour event on site along with the online donations at relayforlife.org/SouthCountyCA.
While continuing to support Jen’s Rebel Mamas in 2018, Underhill will also be part of another Relay for Life team in honor of her mother-in-law Mary Hajdas, who died of cancer in December 2017. Along with her husband, Jim Underhill, they have formed Mary’s Trail Blazers. Underhill’s 4-year-old daughter and 3-year-old boy-girl twins will also be participating for their grandma.
“This year my official membership is in Mary’s Trail Blazers, but I’ll be active in both teams,” Underhill said. “It makes me feel better (to be an active participant in Relay) and with something that is contributing to the fight against cancer.”
The 24-hour walkathon, which is ACS’s largest annual fundraiser with communities partaking in Relays for Life throughout country, will begin 10am May 19 and run until 10am May 20 at Morgan Hill Community Park, located at 171 W. Edmundson Ave. The continuous overnight event calls fo at least one member of a team to be walking the circuit at all times.
“Just seeing the event coming together, I know the work I put in is for a really great cause and a really great event that is meaningful to a lot of people,” Underhill said.
Underhill credited the local Relay’s 20-person event leadership team for making it possible, especially in the first year combining the Morgan Hill and Gilroy events into one.
“Everybody really puts in a lot of work leading into the event. We have a team of people who all feel the same way and put a lot of their hearts into event as well,” Underhill said. “The merger has given us a lot of opportunities to pull the support that Gilroy and Morgan Hill have had for Relay into one big event together.”
What: American Cancer Society Relay For Life of South County
When: 10am May 19 to 10am May 20
Where: Morgan Hill Community Park (171 W. Edmundson Ave)
How: relayforlife.org/SouthCountyCA
