North High’s Relay For Life is arguably one of the most popular events at North. Many students participate in this event and it’s lots of fun. This year’s Relay For Life will take place on Friday, May 31st. Students who want to stay all night must raise $100 and be on a team. I interviewed North High’s very own Mr. Helm and Jayda Flor about the event. They gave many insightful responses to questions regarding Relay.

Mr. Helm is most commonly known as being the AP World History teacher at North, but he has one of the most prominent positions in Relay For Life. Helm is the staff adviser for North’s Relay and American Cancer Society. He started to get involved with Relay when he first got to North because he “wanted to be involved in North High School activities and also because it’s a cause that has personally affected my life.” When asked why he believes students should get involved with Relay, Helm believes “Students should get involved with Relay if they believe in building a stronger community at North and beyond, want to become apart of a fundraiser that truly makes a difference, and also come together with friends and family to celebrate our fundraising efforts at the end of the school year with our all night event.”

Helm and his family have seen the horrible effects of cancer “first hand” he says. His father has passed away due to brain cancer, his aunt passing due to liver cancer and fortunately his uncle is a survivor of cancer. Helm tells me “The money raised by students goes to funding cancer research, the hope lodge, getting people to and from treatment and providing support systems for people who are struggling with how to deal with being a cancer patient.” The donations by students are greatly appreciated and go a long way. We can all look forward to seeing Mr. Helm at this year’s Relay For Life celebration.

Jayda Flor is a senior this year at North High. This year, Flor is the co-senior chair (with the other one being Becca Larson). Flor says she got involved with Relay because she “really loved what the whole thing is about and how it is a big and fun overnight event at our school.” Flor says students should get involved with Relay For Life because “cancer has affected us all in some way, and this is an event where we get the chance to come together as a community to honor those who have lost, those who have won and those are who are still battling cancer today.”

There are events all throughout the night at Relay which makes it fun, but Flor reminds us “remember, cancer never sleeps, so for a night we won’t either.” She has many fun memories from her years participating in Relay, but some of them include watching the survivors take the survivor lap, 3am karaoke, Zumba, and passing the goal by $5,000 last year. Flor does relay for her “best friend’s mom, for my cousin who had lost her battle to brain cancer in February 2018, and for everyone who has heard the words you have cancer.” Jayda Flor’s generosity has come a long way with Relay For Life. Relay For Life is an incredibly inspiring experience. You won’t regret signing up.