Relay for Life

Hi everyone! Like always, I've been keeping busy and am currently in the midst of preparing for finals in just a few short weeks. I will actually be missing finals week to meet with the Iowa national delegates in Washington, D.C. while lobbying with the Iowa and American Dental Associations. Unfortunately, this means that I need to make up all of my exams the week before everyone else takes their final exams. Thankfully all of my professors realize what an amazing opportunity this is and have been very flexible.

Last Friday I participated in Relay for Life at the University of Iowa. Relay for Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society and it is estimated that Relay for Life events have raised over 3 billion dollars to date! The event went from 7:00pm on Friday until 7:00am on Saturday. I joined my business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi’s, team and had a blast! As one person from each team is supposed to walk the track at all times during the event, I bit the bullet and ended up walking for almost eight of the twelve hours! The rest of the time I was able to relax with friends, play competitive Jenga, and attempt to hula-hoop. While we all certainly had fun, it was also very fulfilling to know that we were doing our part in the fight against cancer. Probably the most touching moment was the Luminaria ceremony. Everyone at the event decorated a white paper bag in honor of a loved one who had battled, was fighting, or had defeated cancer. That ceremony really brought home the fact that every single person has been affected by cancer in some way. I decorated a bag for my grandmother who conquered breast cancer. This was an amazing event and they happen all over the country. I highly encourage everyone to attend one whenever they have an opportunity. The sleep deprivation is well worth it.


The officially Relay for Life logo.


The Luminaria ceremony.


With my teammates Lindsey and Peyton in front of the Relay for Life sign.

Sunday was the Hospice Walk in Iowa City at the Willow Creek Park. It snowed that morning and the weather was awful, but dozens of people showed up anyway! Hospice is especially important to me as my grandfather died in a Des Moines hospice. While talking about death is never easy, Hospice faces reality in a way that makes a painful process easier for both the individuals and their families.


Other participants at the Hospice Walk.

On a lighter note, I went back to Muscatine today to visit Ashlie Burroughs and have my hair treated. She performed a chemical gloss and gave me a much-needed trim. I think my hair looks much healthier. Thanks again, Ashlie!

After my appointment, I headed over to Wilton to check out my photos with Shirk Photography. Ben Shirk is such a creative photographer and has won many national awards. He is constantly coming up with new and exciting ideas. I am very pleased with the photographs and I can’t wait to share some with you! Until then.