RELAY FOR LIFE -- A NODERMEET WITH A DIFFERENCE
You've stayed up all night chattering away to your fellow noders before. Whether you were in the catbox or watching The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, you suddenly looked up and realized that dawn had come and woo! you hadn't been to bed yet. Why not do it again? This time, however, you have a higher purpose and you can tell your spouse/significant other, "But honey, it was for a good cause!"
On June 3 and June 4, in lovely Roselle Park, NJ, at Roselle Park High School (185 w. Webster Ave.), the American Cancer Society will hold its annual Relay for Life. For the noble purpose of killing two birds with one stone, Auntie Hyphie is turning this into a NODERMEET, complete with food, fun, laughter, games, and a cause. The Relay Opening Ceremony will be at 6 pm, then there will be a Luminaria Lighting at 9:30 pm, and then for the rest of the night, we can walk around the track, chatter away to each other, snack, and whatever else until 7 am, when the Closing Ceremony happens.
To join in the fun, you will first of all have to register. Go to the Relay for Life Website at http://www.acsevents.org/relay/nj/union and register. Our team leader is Fran Timpanaro (she is the leader of the Weight Watchers meeting that Auntie Hyphie goes to). Registration is $10 and all of that goes to The American Cancer Society. If you would love to support the ACS but cannot attend, you could sponsor a noder. Again, you would go to the website and pick a noder who has already registered and sponsor away. You can also purchase a Luminaria for a loved one who has battled cancer.
The second thing you will have to do is /msg Hyphenated and let Auntie Hyphie know you're coming! I need to know how much barbecue and cornbread and beer to lay on for all you good people! Also, let me know what you need in the way of anything.
As I currently see it, here will be the schedule of events for our NODERMEET!:
June 3:
- 11 am -- Begin to gather at The Hyphenated House for the Pre-Relay Carb Loading and Schmoozing. Msg for address and directions.
- 3 pm -- assemble gear and organize the caravan (this is flexible)
- 4:30 pm -- depart from the Hyphenated House for the event. We should arrive plenty early. If you cannot be at the Hyphenated House by this time, you can meet us at Roselle Park High School. I mean, no one is saying you HAVE to come over and carb load and talk, but I'll miss you.
- 5:30 pm -- everyone should be at Roselle Park High School, by the Weight Watchers Tent, ready for the opening ceremony and the walking.
- 6 pm -- Opening Ceremony and Survivor Walk
- 9:30 pm -- Luminaria Ceremony to honor and commemorate those who have battled cancer.
- The rest of the night -- walk and talk, talk and walk, eat and chat, chat and eat. General Schmoozing. Singing of marching and/or chain gang songs. Snacking. Changing of socks. Etc. Etc.
June 4:
We're going to be up all night, so a place to sleep isn't an issue. If you're coming from far, far away, however, and need a place to stay either Friday or Sunday, we can make arrangements. My friend Yclept has graciously offered crash space at her house, which is not far away from mine. You can recover or prep at her house, or hotel arrangements can be made.
What should I bring? I hear you cry. A list, then:
- water bottles
- sleeping bags (for a quick lie down at the Relay)
- portable food
- Jackets
- Rain Gear
- ground cloths
- clean dry socks
- moleskin (for blisters)
- games and activities for "down time"
- Camp Chairs
So who's gonna walk all night for cancer research?
- Yclept
- amnesiac is going to offer moral support and sponsorship!
By the way, you don't actually have to do all that walking. You can take a seat and cheer everyone on. You can also come and go and come again. There are very few rules here. Being there is enough.