Walk to Support Cancers Survivors, Fundraise at Kodiak Relay for Life

Kayla Desroches/KMXT

Walk, run, and just move your body for people with cancer at the Kodiak Relay for Life this Friday. You can participate for as much as 24 hours or as little as 24 minutes according to one of the event chairpeople, Kathie Morin. It’s not about how you do it, but why.

“It gives people an opportunity to come and walk in remembrance of or in honor of someone who is still fighting or has lost their fight to cancer,” says Morin. “And we raise money so that we can give it to the American Cancer Society to help with either research or to help people get to where they need to go for treatment.”

Morin says she’s known family and friends who have survived or passed away due to cancer. She says this year her reasons are even more personal.

“Just this last November, seeing the sight of it, being with a family member – with a sister – who was diagnosed with breast cancer, being there the day that they told her and then watching her go through the treatments and being there during radiation and going with her and then going again during chemo,” Morin says. “Also, several friends that live here in Kodiak who are fighting right now who have just found out within the last few months.”

And she says this is the fourth year she’s taken part.

“Knowing that I can do it for the people who can’t. That’s the big thing. Or those who aren’t here that are still fighting that had to leave the island and that I call my friends and stuff. Being able to go there and walk is just my way of saying that I’m thinking about them.”

The event starts at 6 p.m. on Friday and continues until 6 p.m. the next day. There are many different ways to participate. You can take a zumba class on-site, buy from vendors, or just show up to support the cause. Morin chooses to walk the whole 24 hours.

She says she’ll take it slow.

“The biggest thing is having people come walk with you. Have friends or family that come and walk with you and talk with you, or just put my earpieces in and turn my music on,” says Morin. “Change your shoes a lot. Change your shoes, your socks. And eat every couple of hours. Drink a lot of water.”

Morin says the relay will be at Woody Way Field across from the Kodiak Area Native Association. For more information or to signup for a team, call her at 539 – 1495. You can also check out the relay website.