The C Concourse echoed with sounds of laughter and excitement on the morning of May 10, groups gathering to begin a day of walking for the annual Relay for Life MSP Airport.

In between airport gate announcements, each team was called one-by-one, an invitation for their journey to begin. At the sound of their name, Team Endeavor Emojis, participating for the third year in a row, cheered excitedly and took their first steps forward. Over the course of the day, the team walked over 15 miles, wearing emoji headbands to represent their team name.

“When we decided to form our own team, we were thinking of names that started with the letter ‘E,’ and when we came to ‘Emojis’ we knew that was the one,” said Christine Marx, MSP Base Operations Administrative Assistant, who started the team with fellow admin Brekka Greff. “When you hear the word ‘cancer,’ so many emotions run through you; Emojis was perfect.”

For these “Emojis,” walking for a cure took on a personal meaning due to cancer’s impact in their own lives: Marx’s grandfather, Greff’s grandfather, and her husband’s grandfather all succumbed to the disease. Plus, Marx said her daughter-in-law’s mother is currently battling Stage 4 cancer.

In addition to raising money to support cancer research, Marx hopes that events like Relay for Life will help spread awareness as well: “Please make sure to get your yearly doctor checks,” advises Marx. “It could save your life.”
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