An Ohio University student can buy almost 7,200 cases — or almost 172,600 cans — of Natural Light beer with the amount of money raised for cancer research at this weekend’s Relay For Life.
Many participants said they were proud of the generosity of people at the university.
“[Relay For Life] was really moving,” said junior Jenny Hirt. “Being at OU, I feel like all that we care about is partying, so it’s just nice to see college students coming out to a thing like this.”
Relay For Life participants raised $80,544 for the American Cancer Society before and during Friday’s all-night event.
OU’s community service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, raised a record-breaking $18,854 with fundraisers such as selling grilled cheese sandwiches and Mom’s Weekend T-shirts.
This year’s Relay For Life, held on the Athens County Fairgrounds, had 1,244 participants on 82 different teams, not including survivors and special guests, said Claire Russell, senior and co-president of OU’s Relay For Life.
The American Cancer Society started the Relay to help raise awareness and money for cancer research. During the overnight event, team members walk on a track lined with candles in memory of cancer victims and survivors. Each team had at least one member walking or running on the track throughout the entire night.
Different events were planned throughout the night and into the morning to keep participants awake and enthusiastic.
Teams also set up campsites, often equipped with charcoal burning grills, to keep warm.
The American Red Cross teamed up with the American Cancer Society for Relay For Life this year and collected 39 blood donations.
“We had to turn people away,” said Lorie Gaitten, donation recruitment representative. “We got 45 people signed up in the first hour. We probably could have brought two buses and filled 60 bags.”
Overnight, participants could stay awake with activities such as the Relay Olympics and a 4 a.m. class teaching team members the dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
The Miss Relay 2008 pageant featured male team members dressing in drag. The winner was determined by the amount of money they could raise in five minutes. Junior Elias Berbari raised $284, crowning him Miss Relay 2008.
“It was worth the embarrassment,” Berbari said.
Another part of the event was more solemn and involved readings and songs in memory of those suffering from cancer. Organizers lit luminaries, which are candles in paper bags, lined up to form the word “Hope,” with each letter of the word representing a different part of the word’s meaning.
Senior student Brian Powers performed a song written by a high school acquaintance whose fiancée died from cancer while they were still in college.
“I chose [to sing it] for him because the day she died is four days from now,” Powers said. “He asked if I’d sing it for her.”
Sophomore Chelsea Koss said the luminary service was “peaceful.”
“If you don’t know someone who died or survived [cancer], you’re with such a big group that it feels like you know someone who’s died or survived,” Koss said.
Reader Comments
Submit a comment to The Post