Beth Odom choked back tears as she gripped a tall purple pillar candle at the Relay for Life Survivor Dinner March 24. Her husband, Steve, helped her light it, and the flame flickered and swayed to the vibrations of her voice.
It was in honor of her grandmother, Mable Fouts, who had just been diagnosed with cancer. Odom hoped she would be able to pull through, although the outlook wasn’t positive.
Odom’s worst fear came true on April 1. Fouts died after a week fighting for her life in a hospice facility.
“Everything this year is so fresh to me,” Odom said.
Fresh — but not new. Odom is no stranger to cancer. Nine family members have battled cancer. And Odom herself survived cervical cancer.
That’s why she lights luminiarias for her beloved family members every year and keeps others who are fighting in her thoughts.
“The number grows every year,” Odom said. “Every year, we buy another one, because we’ve lost another one.”
Because of her connections to the disease, Odom is serving as Survivor Chair on the Relay for Life committee. But the luminiaria ceremony is still one of her favorite parts of Relay.
At 9 p.m., the lights of the Plant City High School stadium are cut off. A somber darkness settles among the camps of exhausted walkers and sleeping children. A slideshow plays with all the loved ones who have survived or been lost.
Every year, the Odoms wait for the portrait of Steve’s father, Buddy, to pop up on the screen.
“It’s very, very emotional,” Odom said. “I always think I’m prepared.”
Hundreds of luminarias are placed around the track. Earlier in the day, those who purchased the luminarias are able to decorate the bags. Candles glow inside during the cool night, outlining the names of those who are remembered.
Although Relay starts on April 11, the committee still is accepting luminaria purchases. They can be purchased before the event on relayforlife.org/plantcityfl, at the bottom of the page, or at the front table at the event. Cost is whatever donation attendees decide.
“It’s not only a fundraising aspect, but just for a picture of a memory, it’s worth it,” Odom said.
Honorary Survivor Joy Neely agrees.
“It does something to your soul,” Neely said. “It gives you a deep understanding that life is precious.”
Although Neely is a survivor herself, she is not the only fighter in her family. Only one out of her four sisters hasn’t had breast cancer. Her 93-year-old mother also battled breast cancer at 86 and survived. But, she has lost many. She buys about 20 luminarias to remember them.
“It’s deep,” Neely said. “It’s almost too intimate for words. You share a special experience with (other Relayers) and know you share a common bond and it touches your heartstrings. It’s therapeutic.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
IF YOU GO
RELAY FOR LIFE
WHEN: 5 p.m. Friday, April 11, to noon Saturday, April 12
WHERE: Plant City High School, 1 Raider Place
LUMINARIAS
Relay for Life is still selling luminarias to remember your loved one. They can be purchased before the event online at relayforlife.org/plantcityfl, at the bottom of the page. They also will be available for purchase at the event, beginning at 6 p.m.
The luminaria ceremony starts at 9 p.m.
“It is a way to honor survivors and those who have lost the battle to cancer,” said American Cancer Society representative Allison Martinez. “It is a time to grieve for those we have lost, to reflect on our own or loved one’s cancer experience and to find hope that tomorrow holds the promise of a cancer-free world.
“It is a very quiet and reflective time, and it is important for every Relay participant to remember that while Relay is a fun event, it is also a time to celebrate those who have survived, remember those we have lost and fight back, so that reach a day in which no one hears the words, ‘you have cancer,’” she said.