What we found was so surprising and amazing! There was an air of "festival" all around. There were tents set up where obviously people planned to stay the night. There were many vendors selling related articles, presumably to raise money. There was a concession stand. Inside there was a spaghetti dinner going on, and people doing Zumba of the field. In fact, activities were planned every half hour throughout the night, from midnight to 6 a.m.
At first, we had no idea where to go or what to do. Then finally, when the Opening Ceremonies began, it began t take shape. In the picture above, the survivors group are gathered to begin the event. Picture a rectangle (football field) with people standing inside that rectangle all the way around, facing outward. When the survivors do their lap, the spectators and teams all applaud! Imagine getting a standing ovation for surviving! But that is exactly what happened.
I have often seen pictures in the newspaper of people walking in that, with comments about how meaningful it was. But until I had experienced it personally, I could not have imagined how that felt. It was actually for survivors and caregivers, which is why I was there walking with Gerry. Quite a few of the survivors were in wheel chairs and a companion pushed them. At one point, being applauded along the way, Gerry had a very emotional response, which surprised him. It is difficult to express how it felt to walk around that field to a constant barrage of applause for beating cancer!
In Gerry's case, he is a double survivor. We have always been very very grateful for that, but never thought about it as a public gathering and celebration.
Survivors unite!
