Relay for Life: Bobsledders, Beauty Queens, and Kicking Cancer's Trash

So we announced a few weeks ago that our bobsled team was invited to help out at a local Relay for Life event held in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. I have to tell you, it was quite an event. Full of a lot of firsts, and a few lasts.

It was the first time we'd all gotten together to do a Relay for Life, though I and a few of my past teammates had done so.

It was the first time we'd offered to push people around in the bobsled to help raise money for cancer research. And man, oh man, what a blast! I have to give props to our team member Brad Welch for his ingenious wheel-system that he built to mount onto the shoes of the bobsled. I confess we were all a bit nervous when we put the system on and began to flip it over, but after a few people took their rides, confidence took over and we were pushing a bobsled on wheels across the soccer fields. By the end of the night, we were all pretty exhausted. Its tougher than the pictures will make it look.

Another first was that night was the first time (perhaps ever) that two beauty queens ever sat in a bobsled at the same time. When the even coordinators showed us where they wanted us to set up, we all laughed. It was right next to the booth that contained the 2009 Miss Utah and Miss Teen Utah. It was a rough night, let me tell you!

Both girls were very nice and even jumped into the sled for a ride across the field and back. Kudos to Miss Utah for her handling of the sled, if she's ever ready to kick off the high heels and put on some bobspikes, she might be a slider yet!

I think the best part for all of us, though, was knowing that we were making a difference. We couldn't help but stand there in thoughtful silence when all the cancer survivors began their walk around the park. There's a quiet serenity about them and you have to respect what they've gone through, what they've overcome. Perhaps that is why we love hearing about cancer survivors so much: because they show us that no matter what we face in life, no matter how difficult, we really can overcome. Whether our personal "cancers" be an illness, an addiction, financial stress, family struggles, or whatever the case may be, let us take a lesson from the chapter of cancer survivors. You face it, you beat it, and you come out stronger because of it.

Enjoy the pics everyone and I hope you have a great 4th of July weekend!