Relay For Life of Hillsboro 2011

I can't believe that I forgot to post about Relay For Life of Hillsboro 2011!! Wow...I really am behind on my blog! I have "Relay Brain" for 10 months out of the year, so after the event is over I seem to shut down. Or...completely rest, one of the two.

Relay For Life of Hillsboro 2011 was held on Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26.

Here is our site ~ Tami's Cancer Wranglers

And some of the 2011 Planning Committee

I don't have a lot of pictures this year because I spent almost 5 hours of Relay at the CPS3 tent with some amazing volunteers and enrollees. SPECIAL THANKS TO MY VOLUNTEERS: Jamie, T, Momma, Capi, Brandie, Tai, Jessica, Jill, Melissa, Rachel and Jan. They helped me make the enrollment run smoothly. And we had 167 wonderful people volunteer for this potentially life saving study. What a way to spend the day right?!?

I was very proud to be the first one enrolled at Hillsboro's CPS3. No one else can claim that.

At RFL of Hillsboro 2009, we celebrated Rudy's Birthday. This year, Tracie made a little cake for Ivie so that we could celebrate her 5th Birthday. (Oh - I should also give a shout out to Tracie for joining us for the first time at Relay this year and staying up with us for the full 24 hours!!!)

Happy Birthday Miss Ivie!

I love having the kids at Relay, they keep a smile on my face.

I also love that Carol travels 3000 miles join us at Relay every year.


The Luminaria Ceremony is always emotional. This year though was a little more difficult for me as it was the first Relay without Tami. She was in my thoughts all day (much like most days) and I know she was there with us in spirit. (She's probably the reason the Firemen kept coming in to the CPS3 tent to talk to me.)


By 9am the next morning, I'm totally exhausted. Even though I wasn't the Accounting Chair this year, I still spent almost 5 hours helping input money through the night. I still had the 3am or 4am walking time. And I always attempt to stay up for the full 24 hours. Cancer doesn't sleep, neither will I!

So when the closing ceremony happens, we're all a little drained and sometimes grouchy. (Some of us are grouchier than others, that depends on how much coffee is left.) But it's always a wonderful feeling to see how far we've come in the fight against cancer over the last year. And by the end of our Relay, we had raised more than $132, 061.82!! *As of today, we've raised more than $138, 238.00!!*

And Tami's Cancer Wranglers was the #1 Fundraising Team with almost $10,000 raised!!! *As of today, we've raised more than $10,313.00!!!*

Tami's Cancer Wranglers had FIVE $1,000 Club Member this year! CONGRATS to Angie Passmore, Jamie, Zona Widmer and Chad Jasnoch. (And me...)

I think this is the first time, in 7 years of Relaying, that we were packed up and leaving the event at 10am. It usually seems to take for-ev-er to get home to bed. Some of us couldn't even wait to order that night's dinner...



We each have our own Reason to Relay. Mine started 7 years ago with my Aunt Tami. I continue to fight in her honor and memory.

Jamaica ~ Dress Trash

When Tiffany asked me if I'd take pictures of her 'trashing her dress' in Jamaica, I got all sorts of excited. Then I got all sorts of nervous...

I could never retake these pictures, so they have to be right the first time. What if they aren't good? What if she hates them? I'll be in the ocean and can't change my lens, which one should it be? Should I shoot in manual like I normally do, or should I let the camera set the picture? What if someone takes a picture of me in my bathing suit? What if?!? What if?!?

I was able to get some pictures that I really liked. I ended up shooting in manual because that's what I normally do and I felt more comfortable. Some of my exposures show this more than others I did only shoot with my 50mm lens while they were in the water as I felt it would be the best for portraits. And, unfortunately, I did change my lens before taking pictures of them in the pool. This change was too much humidity for my camera and lens, even though I had left it out to adjust. But here are some of my favorite shots...

And then we all hung out in the pool so I could drink the rest of my anxiety away.

But when the sun was setting, I brought them back out to the beach for a few more shots.


Oh...and someone DID take my picture while I was taking photos in my bathing suit. And she told me that she deleted the pictures right away. Didn't you Vicki?!? : )