Bigfork Relay for Life should be an Institution

A small group of people walked slowly but solemly around the Bigfork High School track at last year’s Relay for Life.

A band played, but the bleachers were noticeably empty. So much work had gone into the Bigfork Relay for Life, but so few people had turned out to support it. Given it was a beautiful summer evening, I could see that people might have chosen other activities.

Bigfork’s Relay for Life was in need of new energy, and behind the efforts of people like Debbie Ingram and Brittany Quick, the American Cancer Society’s new western Montana Relay for Life organizer, Bigfork’s Relay is staying alive. They have worked tirelessly to maintain this Bigfork tradition, which helps raise money for the American Cancer Society.

So far, the Relay has maintained its position and not lost ground financially. That’s good news, and with a bright, energetic person like Quick behind the effort, it’s sure to grow.

The Relay for Life should be a community event on par with other Bigfork institutions. We turn out en masse for decorating the town, for Whitewater Festival, and our other celebratory annual events. Bigfork Relay for Life should be no different.

The Bigfork Relay is a time that can be contemplative, a time to remember the people who have survived cancer, or who have lost the battle. People like Carolyn Hummel.

She was a light of inspiration in our Crown of the Continent choir. Carolyn passed away last year from cancer, and her memory lives on in our choir.

At our season-ending concert in May, we sang a version of “Over the Rainbow,” a way to commemorate Carolyn’s shining smile and warm, affectionate spirit. We dearly miss her, but remember her in our music.

The Bigfork Relay for Life could be your way to remember someone who has cancer, and through our presence at a community event like this, their hope can be maintained and strengthened.

It’s not just about the Relay for Life fundraiser, it’s about building community. Let’s take some time to pause in our hectic summer lives. Let’s take some time to remember the people like Carolyn Hummel and others in our lives who have passed.

In the middle of this busy summer, this sounds like just the right time to reflect on the gifts we have been given, and the people in our lives who make it better.

The Bigfork Relay for Life is Friday from 6 p.m. to midnight.