On Friday evening June 19, 2026, the 26th Wetzel County Relay for Life event was held. On this evening the former Bruce Pool footprint was where survivors and families gathered to light a candle, and remember those who were taken by Cancer. It was also an evening to remember and thank the advances in medicine. Each year new hope is brighter for those who have been diagnosed with the terrible diseases that live under the disease..

During the many years this annual event is held, it has taken place on the Magnolia High School track field, and at the Wetzel 4-H grounds. For the last few years, it has been held in Bruce Park on the third Friday in June.

Like many public events and organizational gatherings, those who come out to support the causes have dwindled down during the years. The first Wetzel County Relay for Life was held in 1999 in Paden City. After that it was moved to New Martinsville. During the first dozen years, hundreds came out to participate and support the cause. People wanted to remember those friends and family members that were lost to the diseases. And the number of survivors displayed faith and courage by coming out and seeing that there is hope with today’s medicines.

For some reason over the past dozen years, the numbers of people who have turned out to remember, honor and congregate has begun to diminish.

Perhaps the number of individuals who are now discovering they have cancer has dwindled. Or maybe they wish to keep their diagnoses in the dark, hoping if they ignore it, it will go away.

The first time they hear the word cancer as their diagnosis; people’s hearts stop, and the world around them is swept away in their new reality. Then fear rushes in and fills every void in their body. The realization of their life story may have just been told, and they can see the pages of its final chapter. For a few days they just want to close their eyes and pretend the world does not exist. When the light begins to return it brings with it anger. And you question, why has God given me this Cancer? Every emotion they have felt at different times throughout their life comes crashing down on them.

Fortunately, today science and medicine have reduced the rate of no hope to a real shot at living as a survivor. Organizations like Relay for Life help with financing research, and helping those individuals who are fighting cancer and need financial support.

The Relay for life organization has a mission of remembering those whose story ended too soon. But the real mission of the gatherings and walks is to give support and hope to those who are now; living with the reality of cancer. Hope and the promise of a light at the end of the hallways can be an important part of the treatment. Positive attitude and hearing stories of survival from those who have survived, can be as strong of a medicine as science may have. And hope and promise have no bad side effects.

For as many years as I can remember, Judy Pastilong has been part of the organization and a strong supporter of the local Relay for Life Walk. Twenty-five years ago, she knew the feeling of being told she had cancer. The pain and shock were fresh in her life. She attended that first relay event after she had been diagnosed. A radio announcer asked for her thoughts on cancer. In that instant, all the pain and fear returned, and she was not able to tell her story. But today Judy can tell the story and reassure others there is hope and the pain of knowing you have cancer will fade. Will it ever totally go away, I don’t believe it will, but like other painful events in our lives, we learn to live with it, and move on. What should never go away, is Relay for Life survivors who show a willingness to share with others the Hope medicine and faith can give.

As the sun set behind the far hills, hundreds of luminaries were being lit in the coming darkness. At first, the glow from the small candles is dim. The tiny yellow flame at first flickers inside each white paper luminary. The darkness deepens, and the glow shines strong and bright. Each luminary lifts Hope into the night. Each has the name of someone lost or those who have survived. But each shines bright with Hope for tomorrow.

Everyone who has ever faced a difficult crisis in life, whether illness, loss of a loved one or darkness in the mind, hope is always there, and the good people of Relay for Life and the churches in our communities are always there to bring the promise of a better day.

The Evenings entertainment was provided by the Shortline Junction Group, Benny Tharp, George Daniels, Dustin Terpenning and Harry Midcap