It is 9 p.m. at WTAMU´s Buffalo Sports Park. People are walking around the field while others are sitting in their booths chatting and mingling with each other. Different teams are identifiable by their colored shirts. The orange team, Wright’s team, can be recognized all through the field. It all started with Kelsey, a 20 year-old WT student from Las Cruces, New Mexico.
On Jan. 31, 2011, Kelsey’s mother, Cindy Wright, passed away from cancer. Although a hard moment for the Wright family, Kelsey was able to turn in this sad moment into a positive one through helping in Relay for Life, an event from the American Cancer Society that helps raise awareness and funds for the cause.
“When I came back to school after the two weeks that I had been home, I saw a poster in the Broadcasting hall for Relay for Life,” Kelsey said. “It was not even a question. I knew I wanted to start a team in memory of her.”
She never imagined that her team would grow so fast or that she would have support from so many people.
“I just spread the word and people slowly started hearing about it and donating money,” Kelsey said. “It´s really cool to see how many people actually care, and not only for me, but how much my mother touched so many people’s lives. I want to keep spreading the story because she deserves it.”
Wendy Collier, committee chair for Relay for Life, said that Kelsey´s team was one of the largest in the walk.
“As far as fund raising, they have been in the lead most of the time,” she said.
But this would not have been possible without the support of Kelsey´s family and friends. Her soccer team was one of the most involved in the Relay for Life.
“We have a very close team, very supportive of each other,” Nicole deJongh, assistant coach, said. “It was expected. As soon as she told us [about Relay for Life] we said ‘ok’ and ran with it.”
Kelsey said her soccer coach, Chad Webb, played an important role in the fund raising.
“He asked so many people and sent out e-mails in the athletic department,” Kesley said. “The WT bookstore actually e-mailed him back and donated a $300 dollar book scholarship. My coach and I decided that we would raffle it up.”
Her sisters, Erin Wright and Morgen Wright-Pfeifer, came to WT for the walk with the rest of their family and felt proud of their sister and her effort.
“It [the team] speaks highly of Kelsey and it shows that her school supports her,” Erin said. “It shows highly of my mom too because she would come to games and took care of them [Kelsey´s friends].”
The sisters also explained that it was hard when Kelsey had to come back to WT after their mom passed away. However this event helped them realize that Kelsey has a strong support system in Canyon.
“It is nice to know she has a family away from home,” Erin said said. “I am proud of Kelsey for getting this together.”
Not only is Kelsey an inspiration for her sisters, but also for Nicole.
“It is easy to be negative and sad,” she said. “She turned it into something we can all get involved in and have fun, raise money and help.”
That positivity is seen also in the field when Kelsey plays soccer. Nicole said Kelsey always makes her laugh.
“This is my first year working with Kelsey and right away I noticed she has lots of personality,” Nicole said. “I am always joking around with her.”
It is probably a characteristic inherited from her mom, who according to Kelsey always made her laugh.
“She was just so funny and it wouldn’t even have to be something inspirational or anything,” she said with tears on eyes. “Her smile and her laugh – that is one thing I will never forget.”
She also said that her mother was welcoming to everybody she knew, another quality that Kelsey demonstrated throughout Relay for Life.
“Every day people just keep adding [to the team], and some of the people I don´t even know who they are, but I am welcoming anyone that wants to come out,” she said.
Kelsey also invited people who donated for the cause at her JBK booth.
“When I am at the table and people come and donate I just tell them ´please come down and walk´ because it is just a great opportunity for everyone to be out there and do it for a reason,” she said. “If it is not my reason then it is somebody else’s, and that is all that I want.”
Kelsey’s purpose for starting her own Relay for Life team was to celebrate her mother, but also to help others who are going through a similar situation.
“I don’t want people to think: ‘poor Kelsey.’ I just want to celebrate her life,” she said “I want people to remember her as the wonderful woman she was and help other people that might be going through it and just let them know that there are things that you can do to continue their legacy.”
