Um Dia Pela Vida! That’s Relay For Life in Portuguese and what a fantastic group of people we met who are organizing and presenting Relays throughout the country of Portugal for their organization, Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro which fights cancer through research, education and patient services.

Iris and I spent three days with staff and volunteers, several of who are survivors and caregivers, in early April. We talked a lot about how Relay wraps its arms around all that our organizations do and educates our communities.

We shared ideas and heard how Relay in their country is just like those in other countries, yet is beautifully embellished with cultural differences. “We don’t bring tents and sleeping bags,” the volunteer National President Cristina Ferreira told us. “But that’s because we don’t sleep. We dance and party all night!”

Typically Relay in Portugal is held in a town plaza. Imagine a beautiful cathedral atop a hill with grand steps leading down to the plaza below. Throughout the event Relayers walk and dance around the square with luminarias surrounding and floating on the pool in its center. It makes you realize how different and yet, the same we are, especially when it comes to fighting cancer. Check out the DVD that shows all this -  Umdia Pela Vida – Lamego. Lamego is the town where this particular Relay took place.

By the way an interesting tidbit to share from our friends from CANSA (Cancer Association Of South Africa): they don't call events that are struggling DNGs but rather NYFs....Not Yet Fabulous. Don’t you love it !!

Indeed, we are One World – One Hope.