Washington DC: Race for Hope 2011

Much like last year, this is proving hard to start. I am still baffled by how to describe the feeling of thousands of people who, for a brief moment in time, are all one. The first rule of Journalism is show, don’t tell but even a thousand words per photo can’t adequately describe something you see with your heart and breathe in with your soul, but I’ll try.

Weather-wise, the day couldn’t be more different than it was a year ago, or for that matter the rest of the weekend. Whereas last year, it seemed to be a hundred degrees by the time the sun rose, this Sunday morning was cool and a bit overcast. It wasn’t at all unpleasant,however, possible even better for running, and the mood was just as chipper as it had been. These people are resilient, if cancer doesn’t stop them, what could a few clouds do?

After meeting up with my fellow DAVID COOK TEAM FOR A CURE members for a brief pep talk by the man himself, I decided to head over to the sidewalk next to the start of the race immediately. I’d done this last year and recommend that anyone who isn’t timed try this because it gives you an amazing view of the survivors marching towards the starting point, with their signature yellow balloons in hand. For me this is probably the best moment of the entire event because in the middle of that sea of yellow are the people who looked at the odds and defied them. It makes my heart smile just thinking about them. I do not know any of those people personally but I feel proud of every single one of them nonetheless.

Cook once again led the survivors out on this walk to the speakers aptly playing his song “HEROES.” As the crowd reached the starting line to thunderous applause, I noticed his black shirt nearing a small group of people who I quickly realized were his parents, step parents, and younger brother. Recalling the balloon the Cook men sent to the sky in tribute to Adam (Cook’s older brother who died from the disease two years ago,) I fixated my eyes on them to see if it happened again. Indeed, the father and two sons again gathered slightly to the side of everyone else holding a yellow balloon, but this time, before releasing it, they motioned over toward the rest of the family and two blond children ran over to stand in between them. The children were Adam’s daughter and son and this time they were handed the balloon, which was then released skyward as all five Cooks watched it fly.*

Seconds later, there was a moment of silence followed by the official “GO.” As if that were its cue, the sun began to shine and it seemed clear to me those who have lost this battle were smiling down we get another year closer to the end of Brain Cancer.

*You can argue that I intruded on a family’s private moment by watching but I don’t believe I did. The family could not see me, and furthermore, I only took a photograph of the balloon after it had soared far above anyone who released it. If you weren’t told, you wouldn’t know what it was; I just wanted something to remember that moment for me.