Why I’m Walking in the “Relay for Life”

Tonight from 7:00 p.m. until midnight, the Relay For Life event will take place at Bloomfield High School.  It is an evening dedicated to  remembering and celebrating the lives of people who have battled cancer. 

Because 1 in 3 people’s lives have been affected by the disease, Relay for Life has become a worldwide phenomenon.  For the first time ever, the township of Bloomfield is hosting a Relay for Life event. Thirty local teams have so far raised over $40,000 for cancer research and education.  On Friday night, they will walk/run laps in honor of their loved ones. 

Patch asked some team members why they are walking.  Here are a few of their stories.  

Mary Todaro, Principal of Demarest School.  The Demarest Dynamos are walking in honor of her student, Maite Baris, who is also a scheduled guest speaker at the event. 

"We are very excited about Bloomfield's Relay for Life.  I have lived in Bloomfield for 26 years and have never been part of an event that has moved so quickly and raised so much money for such a worthy fund. 

Because our staff, home, school and parents are fielding teams, I thought it was important to involve the students and give them an opportunity to show their support.  The Demarest teams together have raised over seven thousand dollars!! 

Today our students were invited to wear purple shirts (the relay color) or white shirts (the color of hope) to support our teams and the relay cause.  On Friday they will be asked to wear our school colors.  Many of our staff will wear team shirts that say "Demarest Cares."  Depending on the weather, we hope to have each class complete a lap around the school the gym.  They will carry banners with message of the relay:  to celebrate, remember and fight back. 

The outside of our school has been decorated with purple ribbons and we have had a coin collection to contribute funds from our students at the event.  Please do not hesitate to contact me for additional information: mtodaro@bloomfield.k12.nj.us

I should add that we have a sixth grade student, Maite Baris, a cancer survivor who has agreed to speak at the relay.  I truly hope that our students will see tomorrow's event as an opportunity to celebrate with Maite."

Desiree McGhie. Team Rick McGhie is walking in loving memory of Desiree’s father, Rick McGhie.

“My dad was a big part of the Bloomfield community.  He started off coaching my sister and I, and wound up coaching the Peppermint League softball team.  He also coached the Berkeley Bulldogs Elementary School’s girl’s basketball team in the 1990s. 

"You think, the kids are so young, how’s it going to make a difference?  But we have such great memories.  One girl’s parents opened up Lefty’s batting cages, and another one sets up tournaments now.  It’s a huge part of her life.  I played Division 1 softball at St. Joseph’s University in Philly. 

"When he coached me he didn’t play favorites.  If you didn't know, you wouldn’t be able to tell whose child was his.  To this day, I’ve never seen a game where every child is treated so fairly.

"He worked for Hartz Mountain in Bloomfield before they closed, at one point working three jobs.  We had no money but he was able to get team pictures.  Each girl had her own 8 X 10 picture.

"My brother was the assistant coach.  My mom kept score.  The entire family worked together.  Usually you have to drag siblings along to see each other’s games but we all wanted to go to each other’s games. Every single year he coached us we won the championship.

"My freshman year in college he found out he had Stage 4 cancer.  They gave him 30 days to live.  He lived for five more years.  He lived by his own words: “Shine it On.”

Doreen Vitacco - Tony's Angels is walking in loving memory of her father, Anthony J. Vitacco, Sr.

"I lost my dad in 2006.  This is my seventh Relay.  There will be between 15-18 people on the Tony's Angels team.  Three are under age five, one is 13, one is 18.  The rest of us are adults.  We're all alumni of Bloomfield High School.

"Dad was a great guy.  Always smiling, always doing for others.  He was supposed to walk in our fist event in June 2006 but he passed in April.  [At Relay events] every step we walk is for him.

"Every step is so someone doesn't have to suffer.  You're helping people you know. When you get emotional, you're reminded why you're doing it. 

"So many people are fighting this disease.  Helping one person -- it makes all the difference in the world.  It's giving them the opportunity my dad never had.

"I'm walking because I want to make sure people don't forget my dad. I've done six Relays before this.  But this is the one I can personalize and name after my dad.  I can say, "I'm doing this for my dad."