Come On Baby, Light My Fire

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."

This was a busy weekend! On Saturday, Team Perry united in Hershey to participate in the Walk to Defeat ALS. We've been planning and fundraising for this event for almost a year, and Saturday we walked two miles together in honor and in memory of our brother Perry. Thanks to a certain snake bet, we were proud to have three "Extra Mile Club" members on our team (each raising over $1,000 for the ALS Association).



This weekend was also the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Greater Harrisburg. For 24 hours, our Central Penn College admissions team took turns walking and running the track for one purpose - to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

Both events made me think about the power of working together toward a common goal.

Picture a candle... a single, solitary flame. Alone, it doesn't seem like much. What can that little flicker of light accomplish? Not much, right?

Yet one single flame can ignite something awe-inspiring.

In preparation for both the ALS Walk and Relay For Life, I saw a fire spread. Each of us represented a single flame, burning our own little light. But when we worked together, we became a force to be reckoned with! Over $3,000 raised for the ALS Association, over $1,000 raised for the American Cancer Society, and two teams "fired up" for their causes.

And it didn't stop there...

• Central Penn College Student Ambassadors, Circle K, and Colleges Against Cancer raised funds for both causes. 
• Central Penn faculty, staff, and students ate walking tacos, sold candles, and bought subs.
• My Admissions "siblings" generously contributed (They even made me a super-sized check to present their donations).
• My Zumba family helped to organize an incredible Zumbathon at Progress Fitness.
• My family and friends made donations in an attempt to spare me from that horrible snake (that didn't turn out as well as I hoped!)
• and so many more!

Just like that, our single little flame began to grow. We became a FORCE - unstoppable - steadily inching closer to our common goals. A new treatment for ALS? A cure for cancer? It all becomes possible when we work together. So what's our next step? Let's LIGHT THINGS UP!

Are you ready to turn your candlelight into a bonfire? What cause are you passionate about and who can you share your fire with? 

#BeTheChange #NoDayButToday