Why I Relay 2018

Why I Will Continue to Relay, Even in Graduate School

From the middle of my Junior year at Blair Academy to the spring of my Junior year at Bucknell University to October of my first year at Boston College, I watched as my mother fought hard against cancer and lost. Losing my mother this year has taught me many things and one of them is just how important support is. 

I saw what cancer could do to a strong person, a family, a community, and more, but I also saw what support did to combat the evil along the way. The countless dollars raised through Relay for Life and other platforms are just one form of support that my family saw at work through the care in the hospitals to the endless research and trials for a cure. 

I thought that raising money this year would be painful and contribute to the consumption of my thoughts that missing my mother already tends to do, and then I realized that the support that I have is stronger than that-- support for the American Cancer Society is more important to me now than ever before. 

On April 20th 2018, with team members from The University Chorale of Boston College, I will relay in memory of my mother, in memory of my grandmother, in honor of Dean Badal, in honor of my Aunt Lydia, and to honor the hope that the world won’t have to lose any more mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, and friends to this terrible disease.

Last year, you all helped me raise $3,500 and I am still so grateful for that to this day. This year, I’m not going to fully double my goal, but I do want to honor my mothers birthday 6/4/1955 with a goal of $6,455.00. Debbie Miller Kling always taught me to aim high! Please join me in donating and raising awareness today. Let’s celebrate more birthdays. 

Donate here: https://main.acsevents.org/goto/maddiekling