Folks,

Inspired by the great posts everyone is making on ceremonies, wanted to share an idea I had shared a few months ago with others on how to change up a luminaria ceremony - it is by no means unique - insipred by a lot of other luminaria ceremony script examples I have seen - but I have not seen it done exactly this way.  If you want a shorter ceremony that involves many different people, this can be a nice way to go:

*   TRANSFORMING HOPE INTO CURE Luminaria Ceremony - Set up the words HOPE AND CURE for the luminaria ceremony - light them following the instructions below.  Have 4 survivors who read short vignettes about each letter while other volunteers light that letter (one at a time):

[READER #1]  - "H IS for Hope - which is what seeing luminaria honoring survivors gives us.  Every day, these brave souls battle cancer FIRST HAND as part of the quest for a cure.  Hope springs eternal, in the form of trials that take survivor rates from 0 to 100, caregiveres who go the extra mile to help those they support, families who band together to battle cancer so no one fights this dreaded disease alone, and the volunteers and staff who Relay."

[THE H SHOULD BE LIT BY THE END OF THE READING] 

[READER #2]  - "O IS for Optimism - its contagious nature is what we need to battle cancer.  Optimism can be the difference in the battle, as sometimes it is truly mind over matter.

[THE O SHOULD BE LIT BY THE END OF THE READING] 

[READER #3]  - "P - for People - Those who are battling, and those whom we fondly remember.  Friends, Colleagues, Fathers, Brothers, Sisters, Sons, Daughters,  Grandchildren... Cancer has no age, no race, no sex, no bounds.  It is an equal opportunity disease.  One day, no one will ever have to light another candle in memory of someone lost to this dreaded disease again.  I ask that you now light the luminaria on the track that you have placed in honor or memory of someone you care about."

[ GIVE PEOPLE TIME TO  LIGHT THEIR INDIVIDUAL LUMINARIA, AND THE P SHOULD BE LIT BY THE END OF THE READING]

[READER #4]  - "E is For Eradicate.  one day, we will transform our HOPE into a CURE."  

[E IS LIT AS THE READING STARTS;  SEPARATE GROUP OF PEOPLE STAND AT ATTENTION TO LIGHT "CURE" AS SOON AS "...one day we will transform HOPE into CURE" is read.  PEOPLE CHEER LOUDLY!]

[READER #5] - "We are here tonight to change HOPE to CURE... to change cancer from frightening to fight-able, to find lifelong friends in our bleakest hour, to celebrate all those who are winning the battle even as we honor those we have lost.  It is FOR THEM that we Relay For Life.  Thank YOU for being here and helping to transform HOPE into CURE.

Would love to hear from others on what they have done!