Monday, June 2, 2008

What is a Luminaria?


The American Cancer Society holds fundraising events called Relay For Life. For the last 4 or 5 years I've played at a handful of them each year. The event lasts 24 hours with people who've taken pledges to walk around a local high school track.
I'll be playing at the Redmond-Kirkland Relay at Redmond High School at 10 pm on Saturday June 7.


The Luminaria ceremony takes place after dark. The track is lined with lanterns made of paper bags with candles in the bottom, called luminaria. Following some speakers and perhaps a story from a cancer survivor or family member of someone who lost the fight, I play the pipes, leading all the participants around the track.


It's impossible not to be moved by this ceremony. Some people very close to me have survived cancer, others have not been so fortunate. So being part of this is always an incredible honor for me and a way for me pay homage to others.
Follow the links above if you're interested in taking part.

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