Relay for Life
(From left to right, across table) Rachel Udley (left), sophomore family social services major, Shelbey Lippeth, junior elementary education major, and Manas Chug, freshman biology major help serve food Wednesday night at the Relay For Life benefit dinner in the basement of the Newman Center.
April 3, 2013
The American Cancer Society and the NIU chapter of Colleges Against Cancer are hosting their second-annual Relay For Life event tonight at the Student Recreation Center.
The 12-hour event’s opening ceremonies will kick off at 6 p.m.
Colleges Against Cancer is sponsoring the event in order to mobilize the NIU community to remember and honor those who have been affected by cancer. All the money raised at the event will go to the American Cancer Society to help fight cancer through research and programs to help prevent cancer.
The relay was started in 1985 in Tacoma, Wash., by Dr. Gordy Klatt, a surgeon who raised $27,000 during his first relay. His historic walk/run spurred 3,800 communities across the U.S. and eight countries to follow in his footsteps.
Many events centered around cancer awareness will take place throughout the program.
There will be a Luminaria ceremony at 9 p.m. which will be in remembrance of those who have lost their lives to cancer and in honor of survivors. The Luminaria ceremony will be topped off with a speech by NIU President John Peters.
Relay For Life will consist of an overnight campout and walk-a-thon with food and entertainment. Teams of 10 to 12 people that registered for the event will be camping in tents in the center of the track in the Rec Center.
“At least one member of each team must be walking at all times,” said Debbie Von Oehsen, public relations chairperson for Colleges Against Cancer. “The idea for the [Relay For Life] is that cancer never sleeps.”
As long as cancer never sleeps, it seems that the campers will not be able to either, because they are in for 12 hours of walking throughout the night until the closing ceremony at 6 a.m., Von Oehsen said.
Entertainment for the event will be provided by the band “Prank,” who won the Battle of the Bands contest held two weeks ago to raise money for the Relay For Life.
Colleges Against Cancer encourages spectators to attend the relay, because even if they cannot participate in the walk everyone can still enjoy the entertainment and the good atmosphere, Von Oehsen said.
