Shocked by Bakersfield Relay for Life

If someone told me this weekend that I would be hip checked over a chair in a midnight version of musical chairs; would walk in a crowd of hundreds wearing a borrowed pink snuggy; stop in mid stride and burst into impromptu line dancing with strangers I would never believe them. This weekend I had my first over night encounter with Bakersfield Relay for Life and left the event shocked by many things, the least of which is the record 2.4 million dollars that the event earned. The one thing that astounded me was the events ongoing nightlong festivities.

During the day Relay for Life is a spectacle as thousands of people visit booths that pay tribute to those who have been touched by cancer. There are quilts, photos, crafts and baked goods galore. Every participant is there because they want to help stop cancer and no matter how small your role, as a spectator or organizer you sense the power of the Bakersfield community to come together.

The new relay location is outside the city limits and without sound ordinances the DJ kept the party at relay going all night long. After I got my exaughsted four-year-old zipped into a sleeping bag I emerged from the tent to help with cleanup and say my good nights. The Kern county probation relay team needed one more board game player and asked me to join as they wait for midnight pizza delivery. With over 400 sites at the event, I was intrigued by the promise of pizza delivered at midnight right to our table. Rusty’s pizza showed up almost exactly on time with hot cheese pizza not just at our site but also throughout the event.


After we each shared a slice the cold set in and my sleeping bag was calling. The DJ announced that a musical chairs is a great way to burn calories and warm up, so invigorated by my pizza surprise I joined in and made it through with only one major bruise. Each hour there are different themes with an incredible eighties cover band the first few hours and then a series of random themes that include everything from sports teams to glow hour.

The reason we stay up all night is not just to punish our bodies but because the “relay” or walking of the track keeps going all 24 hours of the event. It is not easy to keep walking, even in shifts, on a cold night away from civilization and so everyone helps keep each other motivated. While we walked the track in the middle of the night we stopped on high school row at the West High schools booth for free smores. We saw dozens of folks watching the twilight movies while waiting for their hour to keep the walk going.

For the last few years my twin sister has pleaded with me to experience the overnight part of relay and I must admit that she was astoundingly correct, there is nothing like it. Thank you team Probation for allowing my daughter and I to stand beside you in this fight because it truly changed our lives; if you have never been to Relay or only stopped by to “check it out” you are missing out, I know I cannot wait to do the chicken dance at 4 am in a snuggy again next year.