If there was one thing breast cancer survivor Stacie Fisher wanted to get across to participants at the Relay for Life in La Crescenta this past weekend it’s that battling cancer can’t be done alone.
“I cannot relay enough to let your family and friends help you,” she said to the crowd gathered on the field of Clark Magnet High School. “Even if it’s a little thing … a little thing makes it a really big thing.”
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Despite a rainy start, Relay for Life of the Foothills kicked off Saturday morning with more than 200 people on 26 teams raising money for the American Cancer Society.
The wet weather did lead to some “scrambling” by organizers, according to La Crescenta resident and event co-chair Robin Goldsworthy, but they weren’t about to let a little rain stop them.
“Our attitude is that cancer never sleeps,” Goldsworthy said. “Thankfully, being in the community that we are, people have come together in an amazing way to make [the relay] happen.”
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San Diego resident Jenna Olsen, 31, originally from La Crescenta, was ready for the rain at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills held at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Olsen and her sister have been doing 26 miles during the walk for 13 years, in honor of their father and marathon runner John Olsen, who passed away in 2007 after a battle with brain cancer. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hour walk to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
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Prom Plus club members, including Luke Hemple, left, and club president Jessy Shelton, second from left, wore bras while walking in the rain in memory of a student’s mother who passed away from breast cancer, at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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Sisters Chelsey Olsen, 28 of Oakland, and Jenna Olsen, 31 of San Diego, but originally from La Crescenta, ran in the rain at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. The Olsen sisters have been doing 26 miles during the walk for 13 years, in honor of their father and marathon runner John Olsen, who suffered and passed away from brain cancer in 2007. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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Cancer survivors begin the walk at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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Nora Trueblood, with Team Allen Lund Co., has walked the last 13 years at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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Cancer survivors get ready to participate in the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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Elaine Ross-Collins, 76 of Sunland and a 10-yr. breast cancer survivor, participated in the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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Sylvia Brehme of Tujunga donated 10 inches of her hair at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Becky Tarabanchuck, from Salonoh in Tujunga did the cutting. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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Prom Plus group members Charles Pingry, left, and Jonathan Hur, right, wear bras while walking in the rain in memory of a student’s mother who passed away from breast cancer, at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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Stacie Fisher, a 5-year breast cancer survivor, 48 from Ridgecrest, Ca., spoke before and then walked in the rain at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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Children like Hayden Dempsey, 11, of Lake View Terrace, ran in the rain at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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Members of La Crescenta Girl Scout Troop 15851 lit candles all around the track and helped with the candle ceremony at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Left to right: Lori Bodnar, Amanda Rush Bova, Kaitlyn Sohn, Celeste Samaniego, Molly Fleischer, Pru Yontrarak and Mina Truong. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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Rachel Wolflick, left, and Blake Rainville, right, helped Jenna Olsen get ready for a rainy day at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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Addison Dempsey, 7 of Lake View Terrace, didn’t mind running in the rain at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
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U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff spoke at the annual Relay for Life of Foothills, at Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Twenty-six groups signed up for the 24-hr walk. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)
Before the relay, during which teams keep at least one person walking around a track for 24 hours, participants got some words of encouragement from Fisher, who traveled from her home in Ridgecrest to tell her story of being diagnosed, fighting and, just last week, reaching a milestone of being cancer-free for five years.
“I’m not a hero; I’m not some magic person,” Fisher said. “I just am someone who had breast cancer.”
For Goldsworthy, the 24-hour event was a time to remember her mother, who died of brain cancer, and her father-in-law, whom she described as a “big barrel of a man” consumed by the disease.
“It’s an insidious disease, and we’re here to fight it,” she said. “Everybody who’s on the track today … has been touched by cancer.”
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This year’s fundraising goal is $48,000, which can be raised until August. As of Saturday, teams had raised about $38,000.
The event featured free food, a movie screening and the annual luminaria ceremony, which honors loved ones who either lost their battle with cancer or are currently fighting the disease.
The relay began with the traditional Survivors Lap, which saw more than a dozen men and women make their way around the track as other attendees cheered them on. As the survivors finished up the first lap, though, the dark clouds made good on their threat, and the umbrellas and ponchos came out.
Sporting pink goggles to combat the rain was La Crescenta resident Greg Wolflick, who has been taking part in the local relay for 10 years. This year was special, though, as he also wore a survivor’s medal.
Wolflick was diagnosed with prostate cancer in June, underwent surgery in December and, just last week, was deemed cancer-free after a check-up.
“It kind of gives a different perspective to this whole thing when you get it,” the 59-year-old said. “As much as we want to think we can relate … until you have it and are inflicted with it, you don’t fully embrace it.”
Wolflick said the “grace” of his battle is the newfound appreciation it’s given him for his family, friends and life, in general.
“I fully embrace it, and it makes life that much sweeter,” he said.
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Ryan Fonseca, ryan.fonseca@latimes.com
Twitter: @RyFons
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