Relay for Life 2009

I Voci were invited to perform at the Relay for Life on Saturday, 28th March 2009. It was a real honour to donate our time at this event. We arrived at Perry Lakes Stadium when it was still light and the participants were going strong around the track, dressed in all sorts of colourful outfits, celebrating the joy of life. There was a strong wind blowing already which kept up for the rest of the night. We were able to hear a few of the performers on before us and really get a feel for what the Relay was all about. We sang our first bracket just before the Candlelight Ceremony, when all the participants stopped their laps and surrounded the stage. Unfortunately, the wind was too strong for them to be able to do the whole ceremony, so we all missed what would have been that little bit extra special: a hundred candles glowing "HOPE" on the stadium bleachers. As it was, the Candlelight Ceremony was very moving, incorporating three different generations of cancer sufferers lighting commemorative candles and a time for reflection of those who had lost their battle with cancer. After the Ceremony, the participants resumed and we continued, finishing our performance with "Sunny Side of the Street", which really seemed to epitomise the focus on hope and life. Despite the unusual & unpredictable conditions, I feel it was one of the best events to be involved in. Thank you to the Cancer Council for their invitation and to John for liaising with them.