Relay to raise awareness and money for cancer research
The annual Relay for Life is being sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Student can register to participate until May 2.
So far $8,000 of the $80,000 goal has been raised
By Caleb Sommerville (Contact)
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
The American Cancer Society is sponsoring the annual Relay for Life to help raise awareness and money for cancer research.
The society will recruit teams until the event starts on May 2.
Stacie Schroeder, community manager-development for the American Cancer Society, said the teams were trying to raise more money to meet the $80,000 goal.
According to the Relay’s Web site, there are 291 participants and 36 teams at the University of Kansas so far.
The Web site also said that the teams had raised about $7,984. Schroeder also said that they were working on getting survivors to speak at the event.
Laura Kelly, a Stage 3 non-Hodgkins T-cell Lymphoma survivor, will be the speaker at the opening ceremony on May 2. She was diagnosed with cancer when she was 14, but will be cancer-free for four years this August.
“It’s a cause that’s close to my heart,” Kelly said.
Kelly, a Lenexa sophomore, first got involved with the American Cancer Society and the Relay for Life when she was going through chemotherapy her sophomore year of high school.
She participated in the Relay her sophomore year, not really knowing what to expect. The event ended up being life-changing.
“It was one of the most moving experiences ever,” Kelly said.
After that, she was the survivor chairwoman for the Relay her junior year, and co-chairwoman of the whole event at her high school her senior year.
Last year, she helped recruit people to participate, but was not able to serve on the committee this year because of school and work conflicts. Kelly still wanted to participate, though.
“I thought this would a fun opportunity,” Kelly said.
Cancer survivors and other people who want to help can participate in the Relay by signing up at http://events.cancer.org/rflkuks.
The Relay will begin at 6 p.m. on May 2 at Memorial Stadium.
— Edited by Patrick De Oliveira
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