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Japan Cancer Society Relay For Life
During the weekend of April 25, 2009, Iris Pendergast and I volunteered at a training in Tokyo, Japan to share the Power of Purple with over 50 volunteers from across Japan! Even though we did not speak any Japanese and many of the participants did not speak English, through the use of some very talented interpreters, we proved that the impact of hearing survivor's stories & the passion of wanting to make a difference is just as powerful in Japan as anywhere else in the world. Throughout the weekend, we met many volunteers who never attended a Relay before become passionate on creating the perfect mood for their community's first Luminaria. As well as seeing experienced volunteers share ideas with each other on fundraising strategies that would appeal in their local communities. Hiro & Haru Miyabe, two outstanding Japan Cancer Society volunteers, shared that they are going to be taking the mission of Relay For Life to "Hakata Dontaku tomorrow, which is one of the biggest festival in Japan to promote Relay For Life. We believe there will be more than 3 million people. The 40 of us will be marching during the festival." The enthusiasm of leaders like Hiro & Haru helped to make the benefit of the weekend explode for all the volunteers as their eyes lit up with each new and special idea!
Japan is just another example that it is truly One World - One Hope.
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Sushi. Godzilla. Relay For Life. Mt. Fuji. Would you believe that all these are now important parts of Japanese culture? In only three quick years リレー・フォー・ライフ (Relay For Life) has became an important part in the fight against cancer in Japan. The passion and hope that one day we will find a cure to cancer transcends cultural boundaries, language, and geography.
The relationships, laughs, and memories developed during the training will continue to remain unforgettable as we continue to work together to find a cure. While we only spent 48 hours together exploring the depth of Relay For Life and its impact on the fight against cancer in Japan, we saw the first hand transformation of initially uncertain volunteers to community leaders willing to take on the mission of "One world - One hope" as they enter their next Relay season.
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