Relay For Life takes action, raises funds

One hundred teams worked together to raise $15,000 for cancer.

By Amber Wade

Published April 15, 2008

Despite the muggy weather conditions, Relay For Life managed to overcome the elements by heading indoors Saturday night.

The event ran from 6 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday and was moved inside the Student Recreation Complex due to weather.

With the exception of the survivor walk, every event was held inside.

Even with the harsh weather conditions, senior Relay For Life Chairwoman Lauren Carson said around 100 teams participated this year, which is the biggest number of participants in MU’s seven-year Relay For Life history.

Carson said although she is extremely pleased with the results, she hopes the coming years will lead to larger numbers.

“Hopefully in the future we will be able to have more and more people know about Relay For Life and become aware of how cancer affects everyone every day,” Carson said.

Most of the participating teams created booths where they either sold food or provided entertainment.

Many booths corresponded with a “Lights, Camera, Take Action!” theme.

Later Saturday night, committee members repeated the names of cancer survivors and those who lost their lives in the fight against cancer in the luminaria ceremony.

Since the ceremony was hosted in the recreation complex, glow sticks were used instead of candles.

Relay For Life Committee Co-Chairwoman Lindsey Bagby said she personally enjoyed a new ceremony called the Fight Back ceremony, where people pledge to fight against cancer year-round and not just for the duration of the event.

Freshman Laura Appleton said she enjoyed the survivor walk, where survivors and their caregivers were invited to walk the first lap while everyone lined the track and cheered them on.

“The survivor walk was my favorite because it was really emotional for me,” Appleton said. “To see the survivors with their caregivers brings hope that cancer can be beat if we just keep on moving forward as a whole.”

Carson said showing support for loved ones is the main purpose of Relay For Life.

“Relay For Life is all about supporting cancer survivors, whether it is their families or people who are struggling through the disease,” Carson said. “It’s an incredible way to show support to people who have been through so much.”

Carson said Relay For Life’s donation goal this year is $110,000, but they won’t be able to determine their success until the end of the fiscal year on August 31.

Miller said they raised about $15,000 at the event itself and had $70,000 going into the event, making total donations around $85,000.

Miller said she expects they will raise about $5,000-$10,000 more by the end of the fiscal year.

Miller said 100 percent of the donations go to the American Cancer Society, but in a way some of the money will make its way back to the MU community.

“We have quite a few cancer researchers on the Mizzou campus, and so some of the money is coming right back into the community for their funding,” Miller said.

Because the deadline is still a few months away, Carson said the community can still help the cause by donating on their Web site or at the drop box at Tigers Credit Union.