Joanna Eberts

Have you been affected by cancer? According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 1,437,180 new cancer diagnoses were made in 2008. Cancer not only affects the person whose diagnosis it was, but their families as well, further impacting millions more lives.

The Rotaract Club at RIT first brought Relay for Life to campus in 2008. Despite being the first year for the event, several teams showed up and raised a good deal of money, which went to support research at the University of Rochester, advocacy for cancer patient rights, educational programs, and support efforts for cancer patients, survivors, and their families.

At the 2008 event, about 100 people attended, with about 15 teams present. Some were even fundraising, from selling tie-dye t-shirts to holding a group date raffle. The event was faithfully attended and supported by everyone who registered.

Various fundraising teams volunteered contestants for fun events throughout the night to provide entertainment, including a drag contest, a contest involving each competitor drinking a pitcher of unknown contents, and even a bit of karaoke. Local acts such as DJ Keo and the RIT Capoeira Club were also in attendance to perform and get people up and dancing to keep the night going until morning.

Joanna Eberts

The high point of last year’s event was Jason Smith, second year Software Engineering major, the featured speaker for the luminaria ceremony. Speaking simply from his own experience and battle with bone cancer, his recounting of how his life had changed with one phone call in September 2006 was a poignant reminder of why it was worth the time and effort each team member put into their group fundraising.

“When you’re out for a year, you see things from a different perspective,” Smith replied when asked why he was going to participate in Relay for Life for a second year. When questioned as to how he felt about people not attending the event because they think these sort of events are more “feel good” than “do good,” Smith reacted strongly in favor of attending. “Treatment for cancer is very expensive ... It’s a good thing to go and help out.”

He felt that the support he received during his time at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital’s Cancer Center in New York City really helped him through the experience. The groups that are funded through this effort give patients a chance to relax and enjoy themselves. Without Relay for Life and similar events, several projects would be short of funds.

This year, over $18,000 was raised. There were a total of 31 teams and 207 participants in attendance, more than twice as many people from last year’s event. Gary Wolyn, third year Marketing and Psychology major, raised over $1,500 singlehandedly, in addition to being the Head Event Coordinator for the night’s activities. The top five online fundraising teams were RIT Rotaract, the Rush Henrietta society, the Society of Software Engineers, RIT Women’s Basketball, and BAMF, with each team raising well over $1,000.

Joanna Eberts

Games and events took place throughout the night to keep Relay for Life as lively as possible, with old favorites such as musical chairs and limbo being played right alongside both a drag show and a frozen t-shirt contest, where the goal is to unknot a frozen t-shirt and put it on as quickly as possible. Accompanying these games were several area musical artists and the Brick City Singers, though the talented DJ was definitely the musical highlight of the night.

The event of the night was the luminaria ceremony, where people attending the event walked silently around the track with the lights dimmed so that they could read the inscriptions on various bags commemorating cancer patients and survivors alike. It was a time for remembrance of loved ones who have been affected by cancer, or to reflect on someone’s own experience with cancer.

Throughout the night, comments were overheard in terms of how great the event had turned out. Just as we were not disappointed last year, Rotaract did a great job of getting people involved in the different events and sustaining the excitement all night long. Several attendees even spoke about how they planned to stay the entire night, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., despite other commitments they had to fulfill in the morning.

Relay for Life wound up bringing in over two hundred RIT students, who came together and worked towards a common goal of not only marginalizing cancer within our lifetime, but to provide support for those living with cancer and the organizations that want to work with them and help in any way possible.

On Friday, April 24, at 7 p.m. in the SAU room 1829, there will be a meeting to form the committee for next year’s Relay for Life. Rotaract would like that all interested students attend.