Maley walks for cancer

Social+studies+teacher+Will+Maley+walks+the+track+on+May+1%2C+2015.+Maley+walks+for+12+hours+each+year+to+raise+awareness+for+cancer%2C+but+this+will+be+his+last+year.

Drew Timmons

Social studies teacher Will Maley walks the track on May 1, 2015. Maley walks for 12 hours each year to raise awareness for cancer, but this will be his last year.

District One’s Relay for Life is held at Chapman or Landrum every year.

On this day, social studies teacher Will Maley walks for 12 hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

He has done this every year over the past six years with the goal of every student giving a dollar to donate to relay for life.

“I don’t do this cause I like to,” he said. “I do this cause I feel someone needs to.”

He walks nearly 36 miles on this day, and his body responds accordingly.

“By the end of the day my bones and joints hurt, my toes are square, and I feel like I just want to pass out,” Maley said.

Surprisingly, Maley’s family has no history of cancer, and in the six years of walking he has never had anyone other than the school really cares about his walks.

He says that he sees it as a challenge to students. He says that every has a few students say that they want to walk with him all day, and every year he has the same students from out after a relatively short time because their legs hurt.

“I want students to see that this is not a fun time and I don’t have fun,” he said. “I want them to see that there is a reason to do things outside of themselves.”