This past weekend, Colleges Against Cancer at Rochester held their annual Relay for Life. For those of you who aren't familiar with Relay, it is an all-night long campaign with the American Cancer Society to raise money toward fighting cancer. The event celebrates survivors, honors those living with cancer, and remembers those who have lost their battle with cancer.
It is a very special night for many students on campus. Members of the campus and community register as teams to promote the event and fundraise; athletic teams, Greek life organizations, class councils, honors societies, and other campus groups come together for the cause. The idea is to have at least one member of each team walking the track throughout the entire event for the cause.
Numerous campus performance groups entertain throughout the night. There are mini-tournaments, games and a basket raffle. In my opinion, the most special part of the night is the "Remember" ceremony. CAC puts together a slide show for individuals whose lives have been affected by cancer, there is beautiful music, and everyone in attendance takes a lap around the track together to "remember." Outlining the track are bags with individuals names on the bag to remember, honor or celebrate someone who has dealt with cancer. Glow sticks are dropped into each bag to illuminate them. There is also a banner that says "hope," which hangs at the front of the room.
Relay is a special night each year. I love coming together with my friends and classmates to fight against cancer and to celebrate survivors. It reminds me of how powerful our campus can be in making a difference and the members of CAC that organize it each year do an incredible job. They work all year long to plan and promote the event. It is a great organization to get involved with right away when coming to UR.