$18,750 was raised during St. Lawrence University’s fifth annual Relay for Life event, put on by students to benefit the American Cancer Society. In addition to funding international research on cancer, a portion of the funds raised will return to the greater St. Lawrence community through programs such as Roads to Recovery and Look Good Feel Better. These programs help fund services for patients, cosmetics, wigs, rides to chemo and even temporary housing during treatment.
During St. Lawrence’s Relay, which took place on Nov. 2, participants took turns walking around the indoor track in Newell Field House from 6 pm to 6 am in order to symbolize that cancer never sleeps. Besides walking the track, many other activities and games were available to keep teams awake through the night. “It’s a party for a cure,” remarked Hannah Gailey ’21, who helped organize the event. Gailey said Relay was designed as an “intense but fun night in which we all can grieve and reflect on all the blessing we have.”
Ashlee Downing, the Associate Director of Student Activities & Leadership here at SLU explained that this year there were about 225 people who participated in the event. One of these students, Charlotte Barry ’21, attended “to honor those who have been affected by cancer, to come together as a community, to celebrate their lives and work to find a cure.” Barry is a student with a personal connection to the cause, as many of her family members are survivors of cancer.
Although this event was a success, Downing remarked that getting funding is only one small part in the of the battle against cancer. “One of the biggest struggles we have is there isn’t a lot of hospitals, so people need to go further [for treatment]” she said. Downing went on to explain that programs such as Roads to Recovery are extremely important to patients in the St. Lawrence community, as resources are limited in the North Country.
Georgia Vieira is the Community Development Manager for The American Cancer Society who works in partnership with schools and communities around NY to put on Relay for Life events. She said that patients need to travel as far as Syracuse, if not Albany, for most services and treatment.
This year St. Lawrence’s Relay was organized by Katie Buck ’20 and Andrew Nicolais ‘20, co-presidents of the student-run Relay for Life committee, in addition to an advisor, five other committee members and a number of student volunteers. “From my standpoint as a staff person, this Relay is amazing because it’s totally student driven with the support of their advisor,” said Vieira. “They do an amazing job—they organize all the activities, all the ceremonies.” She added, “It is rare when a campus does everything by itself.”
Although the night-long event has ended, the Relay for Life committee is still trying to reach their goal of $20,000 to donate to The American Cancer Society by the end of the semester. Donations can also be made directly to The American Cancer Society on their website.