Relay for Life as a Storytelling Occasion: Building Community in the Midst of Suffering.
In this essay, I reflect on my experiences with Relay for Life (RFL), the American Cancer Society's walking event focused on raising awareness and donations for research and patient support programs. I share stories of relationships built within this context and how those relationships are fostered by storytelling. I also draw on literature that brings to light the neoliberal effects of fundraising for health-related causes. In spite of the consumerism that is inherent in fundraising events such as RFL, those of us affected by cancer benefit from the connections created and nurtured in those spaces. We turn to similarly situated others and share stories that unite us into one community. These stories serve as powerful sources of support, healing, and strength. We relay. We story. We build community.
a School of Communication Studies , Ohio University.
Melissa
M
Rizzo Weller
D001364:Awareness; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D005653:Fund Raising / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms; D013315:Stress, Psychological