Mountain Melodies and the

American Cancer Society



Colville - 2003
Yes, there were a number of firsts this year at the annual Colville American Cancer Society Relay for life. The background for this page should be a hint (it's supposed to look wet??):
  • For the first time in Colville Relay history, it rained. In fact, by the morning of the Relay, it was not raining, it was pouring.
  • For the first time in Colville Relay history, the Mountain Melodies, led by team captain Laurella Pickett, set up a team to walk in the Relay, and walk they did.
Even though Mother Nature decided to water her trees and grass, the Relay for Life not only proceeded, but it is reported to have met the goals set for this year. Everyone was rejoicing.

Not only did the Mountain Melodies walk in the Relay as a team, we also performed a group of songs as part of the evening entertainment. So, let's just follow the team through some of the activities of the Colville American Cancer Society Relay for life.

The event began with the traditional lap done by Cancer Survivors, a most moving event. It was led by a Boy Scout Troop Honor Guard carrying the appropriate Flags. The next lap had the survivors and their families making another lap. The third lap was a lap of all the teams, including the Mountain Melodies. Each team name was read as we walked.

Then we all went to the football field where we gathered together on letters to make a giant "Motto." If you look closely, you will us all hunkered up on the football field, holding little white paper plates over our heads, as the teams formed the 2nd Annual field picture for the airplane pilot to photograph. Some of us were out there in the letter "E" of the word "Life" (yeah, sure...clear as a bell...and it was drizzling, too)...


From that point on, the Mountain Melodies Team kept at least one person doing laps, all night long, and on until the next day, when the program finally ended. During that process I (Webbie/Roadie) took some pictures for the memory book. Let's highlight the day/night/day...

We had our camp set up, hoping to sell some raffle tickets. That ended up, like most sales on the field that evening, drowning. None-the-less the team took their turns walking. Here are a few, visiting and considering the weather...







The Mountain Melodies were scheduled to perform some songs at 7:45 in the evening. There were a number of local musical groups who performed for the "walkers." The ladies couldn't warm up very well out in the rain, so they gathered under the Boy Scout's tarp to warm up. You can see they were getting pretty wet already. So, one could say this is one time the Mountain Melodies were "all wet," and be correct.



At 8 PM, performances falling a bit behind, the ladies donned their beautiful performance garb and put on a wonderful show for the walkers on the field below. If you wonder where they were positioned, look at the field picture above and you will see a large pavilion looming above the track on the North side of the field. That is where all the performers and announcers were located.



Here is a view of the walkers passing by as they performed...


And this is what the walkers saw when the Mountain Melodies were performing...


As we walked aroung the track and came by the Melodies' camp, here was the view down the track...



Night came on, and Boy Scout volunteers and others lit over 3000 luminarias in memory of many who had succumed to cancer, or survived it. The vision of all those luminarias lit is difficult to capture. If you are interested in the view, you might want to click on the page I made for the Relay, year 2001. It is located at:

Relay for Life - 2001

I am going to revise this link when I get this year's pictures on line, although they were no where near as many as 2001 because of the rain.

With an event like this, there is always hope...and that is what was spelled out by the luminarias on the grandstands under the performer's area...the battle to keep the luminarias went on all night, drenching or not...

Meanwhile, the Melodies hunkered down in their camp, the real soaking not arriving until morning. Meanwhile they walked, they talked, and they tried to stay warm.


As the walkers made their rounds they were reminded of the HOPE for which they were walking, spelled out in luminarias up on the bleachers below the pavilion.


It drizzled and it blew, but the walk went on, and volunteers kept the luminarias lit all night, regardless of the weather.


Meanwhile, though, the memorial to one of the recently departed members of the Mountain Melodies stayed bright:


I did not get any good pictures of the scene in the morning. The Mountain Melodies were soaked to the quick, as were all their blankets. True to the whole idea of the "Relay for Life" and the HOPE that pervades the activity, teams walked on and on until the event ended.