Hundreds participated in the Relay for Life of Webb County to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Survivors carried banners.Volunteers handed out water. And loved ones walked to honor those who lost the battle against the disease.

 

Among them were two close childhood friends of Amber Charles, an Elias Herrera Middle School student who passed away on April 22, two days before the event, and Amber’s cheerleading coach.

 

They walked 13 laps. “It was Amber’s age. She’s forever 13,” the students said.

 

The three of them - Julie Byrd, an Elias Herrera Middle School 7th grader, Adam Garza, a Trautmann Middle School 7th grader, and Olga Garza, Elias Herrera Middle School Cheerleading Coach - had heavy hearts initially.

 

“I said, ‘I can’t go’ and I messaged all the cheer moms that I couldn’t go,” said Olga Garza, who coached Amber. “I didn’t want to go. I wanted to hide under a rock and be in my feelings.”

 

“But then I had a feeling that this is the best way you can honor her. If you’re stuck at home hurt, go hurt and feel that pain and be with people who love her, go support them and be strong for them,” she added.

 

Already waiting at the event at the Student Activity Center were Julie and Adam, who were Amber’s best childhood friends from their San Isidro Elementary Days. They donned Amber Strong t-shirts in Spiderman style (Amber loved Spiderman) with orange colors that represented the kind of cancer Amber had - kidney cancer.

 

 “The relay is for people struggling with cancer and who have passed from and survived it, and I wanted to run in her honor, to not only honor her but remember her,” Julie said. “She was very close to me, and I miss her, and I wanted to remember her in the best way I can.”

 

The first lap was hard for them.

 

“I don’t know if anyone knew how fresh it was for us. We were going in there with our hearts shattered,” Olga Garza said.

 

But then they began talking and remembering Amber and the race got easier.

 

Adam recalled Amber’s kind and outgoing ways while they walked.

 

“If you were sad, she made you able to smile by the end of the hour, and that’s how I want her to be remembered,” he said.

 

The two students slowed down for Olga Garza, who laughed at the irony.

 

“Amber hated running but she would walk, and I would make her run. She would be the last one, and I would say, ‘Hey, everybody go get Amber,’ and we would go get Amber but she would finish,” Olga Garza recalled. “That’s what I like to bring in as my culture as a cheerleading coach. We are not going to leave anybody behind, so we would go back and get Amber. It was the same thing with Julie and Adam. They wouldn’t leave me behind. They came back for me.”

 

The students and Olga Garza also fondly remembered how Amber loved to dance. She would hug Julie tight during her birthday parties and try to get her to dance while they sang Happy Birthday. When she was on the volleyball team at San Isidro Elementary, she would dance while on the court during a game. Even if the team was losing, she would inspire the team and fans to cheer wildly.

 

Olga Garza said Amber’s capacity to love and be strong was profound.

 

“The last conversation I had with her I said, ‘I love you, Amber. Stay strong.’ She said, ‘I love you more. You stay strong.’ It was always, ‘Amber you did great.’ And she would say, ‘No, you did great. You’re strong. You’re stronger. I love you. I love you more’,” recalled Olga Garza.

 

“She had more love to give. She’s a beautiful person. God needed an angel. He took the best one because she was that type of person,” she said.

 

Adam said he felt like Amber was with them as they raced the 13 laps.

 

“I don’t think Amber would want people to be sad about her passing. I think she would want people to remember her as being happy like she was, dancing as she was, making people’s lives better every single day, doing small things,” Adam said. “I don’t think she would want us sitting on the couch and being sad, no, she would want us going out there, remembering her and making life better.”

 

During the last lap, the Elias Herrera administrators, students and staff, as well as others from surrounding schools, walked with them.

 

“If I could say one thing about this little girl, it’s that even when you are staring against some pretty difficult odds, she never once backed down and on top of that she was always considerate of others and how others would feel and if it made somebody else’s day, she was going to do it,” said Elias Herrera Middle School Principal Carlos Martinez.

 

 “She was a warrior, a positive force with an infectious smile and really tenacious and she was faith-based knowing that God will always prevail. We wanted to get behind that and use that as our driving force … we wanted to walk for Amber and we wanted to run for Amber,” Martinez said.

 

He added that Relay for Life was the right time to highlight Amber and raise awareness for a very important cause.

 

“Everybody who participates in Relay for Life has a similar story to what Amber is going through, either you’ve lost someone to cancer, you currently have somebody or yourself facing cancer or you recently got diagnosed with cancer .. it’s ugly on all fronts and just like in Amber’s case, we pulled together,” Martinez said. “I feel like as a community we have to pull together for Relay for Life and always remember that somebody somehow, someway is fighting this disease and they’re at different stages and we just have to pull together and show that support while we can.”

 

Maria Laura Nanez, involved with the planning of Relay for Life of Webb County as the Event Lead and Voice of Hope, Class of 2017, said that volunteers are always needed for the annual event, especially this coming year’s local event which will be the 40-year anniversary. Planning will start in June.

 

She encouraged volunteers who were interested to call her at 956-286-6955. And those seeking support can call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345. You can also find more information on Facebook at Relay for Life of Webb County. And you can find information about the American Cancer Society.American Cancer Society Information

 

Last year, Relay for Life of Webb County and the Laredo Wears Pink fundraiser raised more than $200,000 for this important cause.

 

“We have all been touched by cancer somehow or someway. It’s our duty - like jury duty or going out to vote - it’s our duty to help our fellow community. The relay is very dear to my heart,” said Nanez, who is a grateful survivor. She said the annual event is inspiring for many who attend.

 

“They see that others are going through the same thing and they realize, “Oh, if they made it, I can too.’ It’s positive reinforcement, too,” she said.

 

Julie, Adam and Olga Garza made a pact that next year they will be at the event to run another 13 laps for Amber.

 

“We need to honor her and remember her legacy by spreading kindness and being nice to one another and that’s just who she was. She was just the sweetest person, and if we could be that way in everything we do, she would be proud. That’s one way to keep her legacy going,” Olga Garza said.

L to R: Julie Byrd, an Elias Herrera Middle School 7th grader, Olga Garza, cheerleading coach at Elias Herrera Middle School, and Adam Garza, a Trautmann Middle School 7th grader. Julie and Adam were childhood friends of Amber Charles, who passed away from cancer on April 22. Olga Garza was Amber's cheerleading coach. Julie, Adam and Olga walked 13 laps in honor of Amber at Relay for Life of Webb County because the students said "she's forever 13."

Adam Garza, Julie Byrd, and Olga Garza walked 13 laps for Amber Charles at Relay for Life of Webb County. Amber passed away two days before the event. Adam and Julie, childhood friends of Amber's, decided to talk the laps because they said "she's forever 13."

Amber Charles, 13, who passed away on April 22