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News you can use
Cancer survivors and family members walk a lap at the beginning of Friday evening's Relay for Life at the Havre High School track. See page A6 for more photos of the event.
Boy Scout color guard from troops 1438 and 1492 salute during the national anthem at Friday evening's Relay for Life at the Havre High School track. Opening ceremonies were delayed Friday night by a rainstorm with lightning and thunder.
Cancer survivors release balloons after the survivor lap at the start of Friday evening's Relay for Life at the Havre High School track. "Release that cancer," yelled out master of ceremonies Sue Swan. "Look at that cancer go away."
Mariah Sheehy, 15, speaks about her 13 years as cancer survivor during Friday evening's Relay for Life at the Havre High School track. For much of her life, she has been the youngest survivor to take part in the Relay. This year, Dylan Hendrickson, a Havre Middle School student, was the youngest to participate.
Angela Twombly speaks about her experience as a cancer survivor at Relay for Life. She was one of three survivors to speak.
Emily Simonson sings the national anthem Friday evening at the opening ceremonies of Relay for Life.
The annual Relay for Life is designed to give people who have cancer hope that they can overcome their disease, while raising funds to help fight the disease.
When she was 3 years old, Mariah Sheehy was given a 10 percent chance of living. She went through a series of tests, treatments and operations and was hospitalized for 40 days.
“God must have had great plans for me because he saved me,” Mariah, now a 16-year-old Havre High School student, told the crowd Friday night at the Havre Relay for Life.
Since her earliest years, she has been a regular at Relay for Life.
“The first year, my mother carried me,” she said.
The Relays have had their high and low emotional points too, she said.
For many years, she was the youngest person to take part in the traditional Survivors’ Lap around the Havre High School track. Then, young Grace Gibson took part as she was fighting back from cancer.
Then, sadly, Grace died, and Mariah once again became the youngest survivor.
This year, 13-year-old Havre Middle School student Dylan Hendrickson took part, becoming the youngest.
Mariah was one of three survivors who boosted the spirits of the audience.
Just as the group prepared for the emotional Survivors’ Lap, a rainstorm with thunder and lightning struck the area. The ceremonies were delayed, but an hour later, most people returned, and the Survivors’ Lap took place.
People who had survived cancer — some for just a few months, others for almost 30 years — gathered behind a big banner. Carrying balloons, they walked around the track while inspirational music was played and volunteer Sue Swan read off the names of the survivors and yelled out encouragement.
As they finished the lap, the crowd cheered and cried.
Swan directed them to release the balloons and in the wind, they quickly rose to the sky.
“Release that cancer,” she said, as the balloons flew away.
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