Storm Cancels Main Event—

Two Days Of Relay For 2010

By Kendra Bobowick

Party hats, balloons, and laughter were soon replaced by rain gear and furtive glances at the sky on Saturday, June 5, as rain clouds cast shadows over the 2010 Relay For Life Newtown. Luckily, the thunder, lightning, heavy wind, and rain that canceled the majority of Saturday’s activities arrived late enough for participants to complete opening ceremonies and see several hours of Relay activity before the event was called off.

Despite daunting forecasts, participants wrung out opportunity from just several hours of sunlight. Snapping the rubber bands of party hats under their chins and wearing corkscrew ribbons in their hair, friends Courtney Daytin, Gillian Galante, Becky Frank, and Mary Kate Sandler dressed the part of Team Giggles.

The girls were among those who soon gathered around a baseball diamond at Fairfield Hills. Folding chairs traced the outfield lawn where it met the infield and quickly filled as survivors and caregivers took the reserved seats. Grandmother and cancer survivor Jan Happel sat with her grandchildren Hanna, Rachel, and Andrew Cicciari. They were among the dozens with a front-row view of oversized letters that spelled HOPE, outlined in white and waiting for feet to fill them.

From the stage area that had been erected in the home plate area, First Selectman Pat Llodra, State Representative Chris Lyddy, 2010 Relay Chair Addie Sadler, and Honorary Chair Jill Collins each took turns speaking during Relay’s opening ceremonies.

“Tonight I remember two of my heroes: my father, who died in 2006 of cancer, and my mother, who took care of him,” said Mr Lyddy. “I prayed for miracles. It was that time with him that I got the miracle I was asking for,” said Mr Lyddy, whose father’s life lasted longer than doctors had predicted. Offering advice, he said, “Have hope, and faith. We can share our hope with one another.”

Talking about her trials from the time she noticed a lump in her neck through diagnosis and treatment years ago, to another more recent incident of breast cancer, Ms Collins said, “So, I just put on my armor and did it again … I am here today to give you hope and cheer you on.”

The Survivors & Caregivers Lap followed, with Knights of Columbus members John Mead, Kirk Babyak, and Charlie Nostrand leading the procession. As Ms Collins and others carried the Relay banner during the opening lap, they soon detoured to enter the infield and stand inside the lines of HOPE.

As the crowd filled in the letters, Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Firefighter Shannon Hicks climbed the 105-foot ladder of Newtown Hook & Ladder’s ladder truck, followed closely by Hook & Ladder Firefighter David White. Once she reached the top, Miss Hicks gave a wave to the crowd, lifted her camera, and captured HOPE through her lens.

While The Sun Was Out

Karen and Al Ballwig with team Wings of Hope were adjacent to Hiram Lodge #18’s booth during Saturday’s Relay. A booth away and struggling with purple ribbon pulled away in the wind were Karen Murphy and Elizabeth Zarifis.

All around the field and stretches of hiking trails, tents filled with teams and decorated with Relay themes skirted the lawn. Lexi Samuels and Tricia Sullivan were laughing and playing patty-cake and slapping hands in their team’s tent space.

Elsewhere, Kim Buttery was waving her trick balloons that twisted to form a palm tree. Robbin Allen waved from her Teen Angels booth, representing the Newtown United Methodist Church team.

In their tent, Hannah Groonell and Kaley Meisenheimer were blowing party horns, while Meaghan Harkins of team Freshman Force lifted a huge set of pink sunglasses to her face.

GloGlo Girls with their sparkling shirts and tiaras were Emily Crebbin, Sophia Matsis, Caitlin Jones, Megan McDonald, Bailey Smith, Shaylyn Fahey, and Katelyn Zimmerman.

The Eye Of The Storm

The event, which had been scheduled to run from late afternoon on Saturday until about 5 am Sunday, June 6, was instead called off due to the weather around 10 pm Saturday.

The threatening storm moved in shortly after the HOPE photograph had been taken, which prompted brisk evacuation of those who had celebrated the Relay’s opening ceremonies. Just before 8, the hundreds gathered at Fairfield Hills scrambled for shelter at nearby Reed Intermediate School, which had been opened and provided cover that was much safer than the tents in the open field area where Relay For Life had been set up.

As the laughter, face painting, and fun faded, rain clouds broke over the region and a storm soaked chances of finishing the nightlong event recognizing cancer survivors, honoring family and friends who have died, and fundraising to find a cure for all forms of cancer. Assistant Director of Parks Carl Samuelson chose safety over ceremony, and made the decision to cancel plans that would have included an overnight stay for many participants.

The decision was announced via loudspeaker from within the school.

“We went around to make sure everyone heard the announcement,” event Chair Addie Sandler said. Children and young adults who had been planning to spend the night at Relay quickly pulled out cellphones to call their parents now that their plans had changed.

Bus drivers LeReine Frampton, Denise Buckley, and Beth Koschel were contacted by event organizers and immediately mobilized a shuttle bus system, bringing people from Reed School to the parking lots at Fairfield Hills where some had been able to park earlier, when the sun was shining and a breeze welcomed everyone arriving for the event that had been a year in the planning.

Relay Wrap-Up Celebration Announced

On Sunday, June 6, organizers announced that the 2010 Relay For Life Newtown would conclude at Newtown Middle School Thursday, June 10.

Ms Sandler announced a Relay Wrap-Up celebration to take place at the school from 7 to 8:30 pm. The event, she announced via email, would include a mini luminaria ceremony with Newtown High School student Bianca Crudo scheduled to handle singing responsibilities.

“There were so many expressions people had planned,” Ms Sandler said Monday. “We need the closure and we need to do these things.”

The event was scheduled to include the survivor slide show, and a screening of Shradha Sahani’s documentary Fight Back, about the Newtown Relay. Miss Relay contestants were also invited to “fill their purses!” Ms Sandler said in her email.

The evening was also to include recognition for the top fundraiser of 2010. Prizes that were to be awarded on Saturday — such as the 15 pedicures that were to be presented following the Relay Challenge, and four passes to Coco Key Water Resort with overnight stay to the Holiday Inn in Waterbury that would have been prizes for a planned cupcake eating competition — were to be given on Thursday as door prizes.

Items were to be collected for a 2010 Relay Time Capsule. Teams were also encouraged to finish their onsite auctions or drawings.

Coverage of the Relay Wrap-Up Celebration, which took place after deadline for this week’s print edition of The Newtown Bee, will be offered in next week’s print edition and online following the event.