Mother-daughter teams prepare for Relay for Life
By Mary Pritchard Contributing Writer

Traci Manzello and her daughter Cali, 13, will walk in their seventh Relay for Life together at Oak Middle School May 16 and 17. PHOTO/MARY PRITCHARD

Shrewsbury - As Traci Manzello prepares for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life for the eighth time, her daughter Cali will be joining her for the seventh time. Cali was 5 years old when she first tagged along with her mother at a Relay for Life.

Traci, a nurse at Brigham and Women's Hospital, was inspired to join her first Relay for Life event after the loss of a patient. While caring for Kevin Kane during his illness, Traci spent many hours with his family; after his death, she joined their team in honor of him at the Relay for Life of Ashland.

Traci's father was then diagnosed with cancer and she decided to form her own team and Cali wanted to be a part of it.

"Cali has always been a sympathetic child," Traci said. "After hearing about Kevin and the Relay, and then her grandfather having cancer, she begged me to take her to the Relay."

Since then, both of Traci's parents have been lost to cancer and many family members and friends have been stricken.

"Cali and I both feel that the Relay is beneficial to coping in that it is a great way to stay in touch with feelings," Traci said. "You realize that you're not alone. Everyone is dealing with similar issues - either the death of a loved one or the ongoing battles of cancer monitoring and treatment.

"Cali was present and very much a part of both of her grandparents' deaths," she added. "I am so proud of Cali; she is a great encouragement to me. She really wants to keep our team 'Armand and Honey Friends and Family for Life' going. I love walking with her."

Cali, now 13 and taking on more responsibility helping with the Relay Committee, appreciates that the Relay brings together people who have the common bond of being touched by cancer, and that even young children can be part of it and begin to understand cancer and how to cope with it.

"The Relay is not just a great social event, but it is a place where I can express what I went through with cancer in my family and friends," she said. "Cancer was, and still is, a big part of my life, going through my grandparents, my friends and other family members. My mother and I have done Relay for such a long time and we have learned to help each other cope together. Relay for Life with my mom is truly a perfect experience."

The Relay for Life of Shrewsbury has many mother/ daughter partnerships who are committed to making cancer a thing of the past. In addition to Traci and Cali, the Relay for Life Committee includes other mother-anddaughter teams: Andrea and Sam Sahl, Sue and Nikki DiLeo, and Kathie Scrimgeour and her daughter-inlaw Nicole.

The Relay for Life is an 18-hour overnight event during which team members walk a track. Teams collect donations prior to the Relay and then take turns so that each team always has a member walking the track through-out the event. Money raised goes to cancer research and local patient/ caregiver services.

The Relay for Life of Shrewsbury will be held at Oak Middle School from 6 p.m. Friday May 16 to noon Saturday May 17 and the community is invited to attend.

For donation or Relay info, contact Deb at deb.srfl@ yahoo.com. To purchase a purple ribbon to place on your home or place of business during "Paint the Town Purple" now through Saturday May 17, contact Deanna at 508-845-5341.