Relay for Life is hosted by the American Cancer Society every year to help spread awareness and raise money to battle cancer. Teams are formed to help raise money as well as participate in the relay around a local track. Relays may last as long as 24 hours. Each team is asked to keep one representative on the track at all times, sometimes dwindling into the early hours of the morning.
In 1985, Dr. Gordy Klatt began the Relay for Life. He ran and walked, for 24 hours, by himself to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then the event has grown from a one-man operation to one that hosts over 3.5 million participants annually. Relay for Life was not only formed to fight current battles against cancer, but it was formed to remember to lives affected by this disease.
Thus far Ole Miss students have banded together to form 36 teams to participate in this event. The total number of participants reaches to 363. Such teams include the 2011 Relay Committee, Phi Mu, and the Ole Miss Librarians. Participants are also spotlighted for raising large amounts of money. The participant to raise the most money so far, Patrick Salter has raised almost $1,000. The Phi Mu sorority has raised just under $3,000 for this event. Sophomore Phi Mu, Sealy Smith on raising money “We were asked to go around oxford asking different business to donate money towards the cause.”
The relay events are to take place on Friday, March 25, 2011. At 6pm participants will gather in front of the Lyceum to commence the relays. The relays will last throughout the night up until 6am on Saturday morning. Other than the relay participants will enjoy activities such as a hot dog eating contest and a frozen t-shirt contest. Ole Miss Sophomore, Ryan O’ Connor says he is excited about the upcoming event, “I am really looking forward to Friday’s relay it is my first time to participate. I hope that I can sign up in years to come; I feel like it is a really good cause and I have seen the devastation this disease can cause.”
The event can be broken up into three main categories with three main purposes. Those purposes are to celebrate, remember, and fight back. The Survivor’s Lap is the first event, it is held to celebrate the victories we have achieved over cancer. The second event is the Luminaria Ceremony, which is held to remember the lives lost and the lives affected by cancer. During this event, white bags are filled with sand and a candle is placed in each bag. The final event is designed to fight back against cancer. The Fight Back Ceremony is where participants as well as the hosts stand up to start a personal fight against cancer.
This event, which started with one man over 25 years ago, has grown to be the largest and most profitable event for the American Cancer Society. Students and members of our community are asked to help the fight against cancer whether they have been affected personally or not. Such an event has created buzz around campus because this disease in one way or another has affected so many people. It is not too late to sign up and students are encouraged to join the effort by joining or starting a team, or simply signing up as a solo walker.
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=28575&pg=entry
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=196505013702643
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