The Relay For Life of Greater Fall River held its Opening Ceremony and Survivor Lap on June 25, 2022, at Bishop Connolly High School. The event marked the first full relay since the COVID-19 pandemic, following two abbreviated versions. The ceremony began with an initial gathering where children displayed signs indicating the money collected, followed by the singing of the National Anthem by Evan Massoud, introduced by tri-chair Palmyra Aggya. Mayor Paul Coogan addressed the attendees, commending survivors for their fight against cancer and thanking all participants and fundraisers for their contributions to the important event in Fall River.
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okay while we're all gathering to the stage we just want we i have my little helpers here in the front holding something up up the other way the other way turn it around no turn it around yeah there you go perfect okay mr one yep okay i okay so as of right this moment and we're still collecting money this is how much money we have turn around kids and hold your signs up hold
0:31the sign up hold it up high hold it up higher
0:45okay kids great job all right give your sign away so you can get a bubble go walk that way walk this way walk that way over there go see where's nancy with the bubbles left hold the bubbles hold the bubbles hold the bubbles hold them thank you okay all right kids this is your job when we start the music for the survivors you're going to walk around them and you're going to blow the
1:15bubbles to make it all festive you got it that's your job but for now i need you to walk that way towards brittany because the arnold god needs to come to the front okay thank you very much
1:47music
2:04good afternoon everyone we will begin our ceremonies with our national anthem to introduce our performer is try chair palmyra aggya i would like to introduce evan massoud who will be sinking the national anthem
2:31can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight or the ramparts we washed were so gallantly streaming and the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there
3:46land of the free and the home of the brave now i'd like to introduce the honorable mirror paul coogan so
4:33well it's another great day for the relay for life the weather is perfect we got a nice crowd and it's just right at the beginning so i know it's going to be a good night out here at bishop conley i want to commend all the survivors for their fight to beat this insidious disease i want to commend all the people that come up here to raise money for this great great
4:53event and i want to commend all the people that take part in it because it's very very important it's a key day in the city of fall river and i know we're going to have a great night and again i can't thank you enough for coming let's get this party started thank you thank you mayor coogan well good afternoon everyone and welcome to the 2022 relay for life it's way overdue this is our first full
5:19relay after colbit we had two little abbreviated versions the last two years but it's great to see everybody back here my name is maria torres and i am here with my tri-chairs palmeira agyar and christine palmer and each year we gather to celebrate our survivors we remember those that are no longer with us and we fight back against this dreaded disease called cancer this event regardless of how big or
5:45small doesn't happen without the help of some very special people to thank those people is christine palmer so i'd like to thank our major sponsors and if if you're here we'd like to acknowledge you number one new england golf cars we couldn't do this without them um toyota of dartmouth primacare mike's auto body all day all night towing health first hub saint anthony of padua knights of columbus stop and shop target
6:29town heating lands landscaping industries happy heck wsar raw seafoods liberty utilities green point diamond fred tv if i for the south coast funeral homes vita nutrition notre dame credit union tri-city unbelievable we have an unbelievable city an unbelievable community thank you one and thank you all as we celebrate today our message to you is that no one no one person fights this fight alone
7:09survivors are surrounded by a team of individuals that at times will cry with you when your burden is too big and rejoice with you when the news you had hoped for is delivered at relay for life our we fight to raise money so that one day cancer will be this disease that used to plague so many but now is found to be no longer the dreaded disease and news everybody thought it would once be survivors you
7:41are an inspiration to others thank you for standing up being recognized and refusing to give up good afternoon my name is palmyra aggier and i'm one of the co-chairs we are here because of you you are the reason that we relay remember you have two primary choices in life to accept the conditions as they exist life accept the responsibility for changing them challenges are what makes life
8:18interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful time is the essence of life don't waste it but live it and now i would like to introduce the site judges as i call your name please come in front of the podium state senator michael rodriguez
8:46state representative carol fayola state representative alan silvia city councilor sean kadeem city councilor joseph kamara school committee kevin aguiar principal of bishop connolly high school kathleen saint lawrence principal of henry lord community school amy and brown heart executive director of forward recreation grace girling these judges will be going around the track to judge your site thank
9:34you at this time we'd like to start with our um survivor lap so if we can have the chair
9:50if we can clear this left side the survivors are going to be exiting that way with the honor guard in front of them
10:04before we step off we have a special song for our survivors
10:16so this song is for you children with the bubbles if you can come up front
10:49have you ever felt like nobody was there have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of have you ever felt like you could disappear like you could fall and no one would hear
11:18well let that lonely feeling wash away maybe there's a reason to believe you'll be okay cause when you don't feel strong enough even when the dark comes crashing through when you need a friend to carry you when you're broken on the ground you will be fine so let the sun come streaming in lift your head and look around you will be fine
12:30you'll be there's a feel place
13:04across the silence your voice is
13:23you will be