I was tempted to hit the snooze, but there were too many reasons to obey the 3:45 am alarm clock. Eighteen reasons to be exact. The soccer team had coordinated efforts and created two teams of nine to walk in the Relay for Life fundraiser on Stout's campus. I had to get up. Besides, there was supposed to be a frozen t-shirt contest or something.
It hadn't really been all that long since I had found myself up in the wee hours of the morning, but for the first time in a long time it wasn't to satisfy the needs of the little people in my life.
It hadn't really been all that long since I had found myself up in the wee hours of the morning, but for the first time in a long time it wasn't to satisfy the needs of the little people in my life.
When I got to the fieldhouse, the group had dwindled a little, but the ultra-dedicated were still among the walkers on the track. There were a few snoozers on the futon that lay at the designated soccer area, and remnants of an extremely busy night still littered areas of the multi-purpose room. The girls were not nearly as tired as I imagined they would be, and they were still as goofy and entertaining as always.
As I walked...
Laura and Cassey, the team leaders, were still there and still walking.
Laura had sent her mom back to the dorm many hours before, and she was in it for the long haul.
Cassey helped to figure out that she and Laura would probably walk for a total of ten hours before the 12-hour event ended.
Mallory was the first to really take note of what gravity can do to a pair of hands that have been walking for several hours. We told her to take her swollen hands to bed.
Rachel and Trish were not far behind when it was apparent that fatigue was getting the best of them. The incoherent sentences were a dead give away.
Amanda jolted awake at 5:00 am for her shift and it took probably 3 laps for her to figure out where she was.
Meesh lamented her loss in the big-glove boxing ring that had been set up earlier in the night. She will be looking for a rematch!
Jess enjoyed judging the karaoke performers, but resisted the urge to take a turn at the microphone herself.
And, while we walked...
The sun came up. The event closed down. Fatigue set in.
The several months that Laura and Cassey spent organizing and motivating the team to take part in the worthy cause for the American Cancer Society had come to a close. All together, the team was able to raise nearly $800 for the cause, and create priceless memories through the walk itself.
It is always worth it to be part of something worthwhile. To fight for something that is bigger than you are. It's ALWAYS worth it....even if it means fighting the urge to stay in bed at 3:45 in the morning.
