2008 Relay for Life, episode 1: a big deal
At Relay for Life 2007, there was a team called Jimmy Coole. As our team, the Mommas and Poppas lamented that we missed the $5000 goal by just over $100, we were all awestruck by some new bunch, some Team Jimmy Coole, who had managed to raise over $40,000. During the luminary ceremony, no one could miss the almost quarter-track of lanterns bearing Jon McCourt's name. While on the track, we discovered that a number of mutual friends were on the team, and a couple of days after the Relay, I found Christine on Facebook and sent her a message that said something to the effect of, "You guys rock!"
(photocred this image only: Christine Hopaluk)
When you meet Christine McCourt in person, her petite frame, maternal charm, and sweet voice don't exactly match with the formidable pain and healing she has endured since 2005 when her husband and father of their two daughters was ripped from them by cancer. You can read the whole story here. Keep your Kleenex handy - it's not an easy one to read.
Amoung veteran Relayers, she's a bit of a legend, complete with myths about her prowess as a fundraiser, how she came to be, and what she plans to do. The brief truth of it is, she impressed the folks at the CCS so much they wanted to keep her. She is, in short, larger than life.
Christine and I chatted intermittently through the fall and winter, and in early spring we brainstormed the plan to have photographers on site dedicated to capturing team photos, and whatever else we could muster, an opportunity that still boggles my mind.
Not only has she brought a fresh new energy to the Relay which she helped coordinate and organize as a planner, but she participated in her team's regular fundraising and track walking, AND ran in the First Annual Jon McCourt Memorial Run. And her team broke the $50,000 mark this year.
Every once in a while you meet someone who fills you with awe, someone you just know is a bit of a Big Deal. It's my honour to know Christine. She's definitely a Big Deal.
In her closing comments at the indecent hour of 6:45 a.m., Christine was barely able to contain her emotion after an exhausting night. The pain of losing someone to cancer, though at a safe distance behind her, is still evident, and drives her to continue being a force to be reckoned with. Finding better treatments and a cure, finding ways to Celebrate, Remember, and Fight Back are at the core of everything she does. Thank you, Christine, for the amazing opportunity to participate in such a unique capacity, for your incredible dedication and inspiration, and for being a Big Deal.
Amoung veteran Relayers, she's a bit of a legend, complete with myths about her prowess as a fundraiser, how she came to be, and what she plans to do. The brief truth of it is, she impressed the folks at the CCS so much they wanted to keep her. She is, in short, larger than life.
Christine and I chatted intermittently through the fall and winter, and in early spring we brainstormed the plan to have photographers on site dedicated to capturing team photos, and whatever else we could muster, an opportunity that still boggles my mind.
Not only has she brought a fresh new energy to the Relay which she helped coordinate and organize as a planner, but she participated in her team's regular fundraising and track walking, AND ran in the First Annual Jon McCourt Memorial Run. And her team broke the $50,000 mark this year.
Every once in a while you meet someone who fills you with awe, someone you just know is a bit of a Big Deal. It's my honour to know Christine. She's definitely a Big Deal. 
*These images copyright Canadian Cancer Society
Comments
I'm crying and I haven't even gone and read Christine's full story.
On a much smaller scale, Christine's story helped me to relate, just a little bit more, to Hal and the loss of his 1st wife to cancer.
We have to keep fighting for cureS. Always HOPE.
Lynda
Thanks for the photocred in your post, you didn't have to do that!
Today is no different, but I am preparing to leave for the American Cancer Society's International Relay for Life Leadership Summit in a few days as the Alberta volunteer delegate (this, in fact, is a big deal, to me anyway). I wanted to thank you and your team once again for the tremendous amount of time and effort you all put into making this year's Relay such a tremendous success (best Edmonton Relay to date). We were all beyond thrilled with your work with your work and suggestions along the way and I hope all your great photographers enjoyed it as well. I definitely hope to see you there again next year.
As for me, I'd like to think I'm no different than anybody else who has watched a loved one mercilessly battered by cancer. While I'm just one person, I will do everything I can to ensure Jon's death was not in vain. Together with all our outstanding volunteers and participants, we are making a difference.
While I would give almost anything to not have a reason to be involved as an advocate against cancer, I will admit that I have made some amazing friends on this journey who instill hope and inspire me to continue working diligently. Hope, you are one of those people; thank you for making a difference.