The local Relay for Life planning committee’s “Paint the Town Purple” campaign struck downtown Morgan Hill in the early afternoon April 14, as a growing group of organizers and team members left a purple haze of ribbons, flags, banners and posters up and down Monterey Road between Main and Dunne avenues.
“It’s so that everybody is aware that the event is coming up, and it’s to invite everyone out to the event,” said Melonie Chase, a third-year planning committee member and Relay for Life of Morgan Hill participant since 2007. “Cancer affects everyone in one way or another, so this is just a wonderful event.”
Morgan Hill’s Relay for Life—which is part of the American Cancer Society’s biggest annual fundraiser in the fight to find a cure—is scheduled for May 14-15 at Community Park. Teams camp out at the park overnight and participate in the 24-hour continuous walkathon honoring those who have battled cancer and their loved ones who supported them along their treacherous journey.
“It’s really, really fun, and it’s so nice to see all the people and all the energy they have,” said 13-year-old Kayla Chase, a student at Jackson Academy of Math & Music.
The Chases (also joined Thursday by grandma Merrilee Hester and Melonie’s sister Merrilee Avila—who both came from out of the area for the occasion) lost family matriarch Leroy Hester to cancer and have since been involved in the Morgan Hill Relay.
“When my dad passed away, I was angry. I felt useless,” explained Melonie Chase, a team member and one-time captain of the Masonic Movers. “Walking and raising money for the fight kind of empowers you that you are doing something.”
Merrilee Avila, of Auburn, who previously participated in the Relay when she lived in Washington, described the annual event as “a family thing,” with relatives now coming to Morgan Hill to do their part.
As younger participants helped tie event tags to ribbons before they were placed in the downtown area, cancer survivor Chris Nunez—who worked for the city at the Community and Cultural Center—strolled over to do her part in the PTP campaign.
“It’s my four-year birthday,” shared Nunez of the time that’s passed since her surgery to remove a tumor on her brain. “I’m so excited for today. I’ve been really good.”
Nunez’s son Chase, a senior at Ann Sobrato High and fellow Team Chris member, was downtown as well helping to hang event posters and make the day special for all.
“It’s nice to come here and see how everyone is helping out,” said Chase Nunez before hitting the downtown streets.
Community supports Local Relay
This is the second year of the PTP campaign, developed by lead organizers Val Renggli and Jill Davis in an effort to get the word out about the local Relay for Life.
“This is the second year we were able to decorate here in Morgan Hill,” Renggli said. “Just to be able to get the permit from the city (to decorate downtown) and tell this community what we’re doing is huge. We still struggle with people knowing about the Relay.”
So far this year, the Relay has 21 teams, comprised of 146 participants, that have already raised $13,218. Last year, the local event raised $83,826.02 for the ACS’s fight to find a cure. In total, 34 teams, comprised of 329 individuals, walked the makeshift track at Community Park over a 24-hour span in honor of survivors and in memory of those loved ones whose lives were cut short due to cancer. Over the last two years, the event has donated close to $200,000 for cancer research.
This will be Renggli’s final year as lead organizer and she hopes to pass the leadership torch to another who shares the same drive and passion for bringing the community together for this worthy cause.
“The object of today is to get more people to attend our event and know about what we’re doing,” she added. “This is truly a community fight and we have to approach it that way if we’re going to win.”
A unique addition to the 2016 event is an expanded effort to honor local heroes who are currently battling cancer or have passed on due to the disease. Nominations can be sent to Renggli at
vr******@cs***.edu
. She asks senders to include the nominee’s name, current status and reason that person is a local hero.
Those nominees who fit the criteria will then become special honorees at the 2016 Relay, where one lap during the 24-hour continuous walkathon will be designated in their honor. At that time, a member of the nominating team can sing a song, give a performance or do anything they see fit to honor their selection.
The theme for the 2016 Relay—and the second new nook in this year’s event—is “Emoji,” which are the smartphone faces shared between users to express themselves without using words. Each team will choose an Emoji that will represent their team during the walkathon.
“With Relay for Life, a lot of the work for teams is happening ahead of time with the fundraising, and not just at the event,” said Davis, who has been with Relay for seven years and on the planning committee for the last four. “We want (new participants) to be prepared for it, so this is a head’s up. Now’s the time.”
What: Relay For Life of Morgan Hill
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 14 to 10 a.m. Sunday, May 15
Where: Morgan Hill Community Park, 171 W Edmundson Ave.
Why: To raise money for the American Cancer Society’s cancer research
How: Contact Valerie Renggli at
vr******@cs***.edu
or visit relayforlife.org/morganhillca
