Relay for Life Supporters Weren't Going Down 'til the Sun Came Up

At the age of six, Elizabeth Noreen was diagnosed with cancer.

It was a rare form of bone cancer called primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET), and Noreen underwent 10 months of treatment, which included chemotherapy, radiation, stem cell transplant and surgery. At the time of her diagnosis, the doctors said she had a 1 in 100 chance at survival.

However, 14 years later, Noreen is full of life and energy, and was a team captain at Friday night and Saturday morning’s Relay for Life of Oak Forest.

Noreen lives in Tinley, but she says the Oak Forest relay is her favorite.

“It’s one of the biggest, and I like the community, the activities, and the people,” Noreen said.

The Relay For Life started at 6 p.m. Friday night at Oak Forest Park District, and lasted all the way until 6 a.m. The opening ceremonies kicked things off with introductions and celebrations, including the presentation of the Nationwide Heart of Relay Award for survivors and caregivers to Oak Forest’s Relay For Life.

With all 300 seats filled and hundreds more scattered outside the tent and around the park, the standing room only crowd cheered as Mayor Hank Kuspa received the award.

Then, the event really got going with music, vendors, tents, raffles, auctions and games for kids. All money raised was given to the American Cancer Society, which pours it into research funding and services for cancer patients, among other uses.

Also, with 37 teams on hand, survivors, family and friends took laps around the track for all those affected by cancer. Throughout the night, different laps had different themes, including the Sox vs. Cubs Lap, the Crazy Hat Lap and the Patriotic Lap.

One of the most emotional laps came right after the Luminaria Ceremony. At the ceremony a little after 9 p.m., songs and poems commemorated all those who are battling cancer and those who have fallen to cancer. Then, a silent lap was taken around the track, which was lined with lit-up luminaria bags. Each bag was purchased in honor of an individual affected by cancer.

This was the fifth year for the Oak Forest version of the national event. Oak Forest Relay, which raises funds all year, has already raised over half a million dollars in five years. This year alone, Relay’s goal is to raise around $116,000–$117,000 dollars.

The event raises more than money—it raises spirits, said Noreen and her mother, Denise Wysocki.

“I think it brings a lot of hope,” Wysocki said. “Especially to see people like Elizabeth who were diagnosed at 6 years old that are now 14 years going.”

Noreen will be a junior at University of Illinois at Chicago next year, where she studies psychology and sociology. Just as she received help from child-life specialists at the hospital, she wants to be one herself and work with kids who are undergoing treatment.

Noreen’s mother is proud.

“She has inspired many, many, many adults because her treatment was so grueling and her chances were so poor,” Wysocki said.

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