Relay for Life: A Tradition of Helping
8th grade teachers show off their team t-shirt.
Paul Fletcher, a 7th grade teacher in the Green pod, has been participating in Relay for Life, a charity walk-a-thon, for over 20 years.
A few years ago, devastating news hit Mr. Paul Fletcher when he was diagnosed with cancer. But he stayed determined during his battle and has now been living cancer-free for over four years.
Mr. Fletcher learned all sorts of things from his work on Relay for Life. “It’s a fun way to raise money for a great cause,” said Mr. Fletcher. He also talked about how his cancer experience taught him a lot about spirituality and how it changed his ways in life.
“I would not have been able to get through my experience without all the amazing staff here at Bedford Middle School,” said Fletcher. When he was sick, the staff took turns bringing him food during his difficult treatment.
For the past few years, Mr. Fletcher has been hosting poker tournaments where people come together and put money into the poker pot. All the winnings go to Relay for Life. The pods also organized an event to raise money for the organization. They made over $100.00 in just two days.
On May 7 for the first time, Mr. Flectcher and all the Relay for Life teams will be walking in BMS’s backyard at Staples High School. Teams from neighboring towns will walk for up to six hours to raise money and awareness for cancer research.
Participants walk around the track together to help save lives. Cancer survivors, relatives of people who have been taken by cancer, and just average people come together every year to participate in this event.
BMS is heavily involved. Students and teachers will be raising money through contributions before the race. Contributions will even happen after the race through raffling fun teacher prizes, like having ice cream lunch or a special snack backpack for the trip to New York.
Mrs. Ali Antunovich does a lot of the team coordinating.
Relay for Life is a lot of fun. When you need a break from walking around the track, you and your friends can enjoy food, music, and hang out with friends.
Any Bedford student can participate, but you need a chaperon and a filled out permission slip in order to walk in the event. If you can’t make it to the event, you can donate money to Relay for Life on its website.
Relay for Life has changed lives and raised millions of dollars that have assisted in cancer research.