Hinton Relay for life moves on

The last golden strands of sunlight beam down on Brittany Rosenberger after early evening rains. Friday downpours make way for a perfect mountain sunset, and the nine-year-old is making fine use of her time, flitting across the green tented fields with her friends. It’s past her bedtime, and despite the play, she still has an important task at hand: To light a candle symbolizing her battle with cancer.

“I’m so proud of what she’s done,” says Rhonda Rosenberger, Brittany’s mother.

Less than a year ago, the days were much darker for the nine-year-old. Diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, Brittany spent more time making trips to the oncology unit in Edmonton than playing with her friends. For six months, Brittany received treatment in Edmonton and Hinton, bravely facing the life-threatening disease. 

However on this night, she leads the survivors lap around the Hinton track in her first Relay for Life, joined by 39 other survivors and their friends and family. According to Brittany, she’s walking to make sure others don’t have to endure what she did.

“I wish people didn’t have cancer and that we find a cure,” she said.

Joette Farcier is the Canadian Cancer Society representative for the walk. A lack of volunteers and a significant drop in corporate sponsorship threatened to stop the walk for a second straight year in Hinton, and while Farcier says her hope never waned, others in the organization weren’t so sure. While most Relay for Life events count on a solid group of 20 volunteers, Hinton only had three.

Wally Lischewski was one of those volunteers. A former mechanic in Jasper, Lischewski was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2002, and walked in his fourth relay for those who couldn’t.

“At the time, I was very vocal about it. I said to everybody to get checked,” he said. “There are a lot of my friends who aren’t here because they didn’t get checked.”

Darlene Udon was another of those volunteers. Having recently lost her best friend to cancer, she refused to let the relay disappear. For the past year, she put in countless hours to ensure the event would run. 

“I lost my best friend of 25 years to cancer. That’s what gave me such a big drive... we can’t tell people it’s not going to happen. How can people have hope if it doesn’t happen?”

The event sold more than 200 luminaries, and a portion of the money raised stays in Hinton to help cancer patients. Farcier said the event will happen again next year, likely with the support of the local high school. 

“They have so much energy and support the relay. Everyone has been touched by cancer,” Farcier said.

Brittany has been cancer-free since March, however her journey isn’t over. Children diagnosed with cancer must be checked yearly. But with a bright smile, and her family looking on, Brittany lit her own luminary this year.

And with support, she’ll continue doing so for years to come.