UMF Students in Relay For Life Kick Off to Save Lives

UMF Students in Relay For Life Kick Off to Save Lives

Oct 13, 2017 | News | 0 comments

By Alicia Davis – Contributing Writer

UMF students in Relay For Life are prepare for the busy year ahead.

Relay for Life is a portion of American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer awareness, cancer treatment, provide housing near hospitals and more. The big event for Relay For Life occurs at UMF in April at the FRC, where teams walk around the FRC all night and fundraise to support children and adults with cancer.

In the fall, Relay holds an event called Kickoff. Meredith Laliberte, one of the co­-chairs for Relay, said Kickoff is an event for students to find out more about Relay and become educated about the event.

Members of ALD

Kickoff helps Relay find new members, and get more people involved with their club. “People are able to sign up for Relay at Kickoff, or they can form their own team,” said Laliberte. “We do not know the exact date of Kickoff yet, but it will be at some point before second semester.”

This will be Laliberte’s third year with Relay at UMF. “We show a slideshow at Kickoff to show past Relay events, and we have themed activities at Kickoff. At last year’s Kickoff there was ornament and cookie decorating,” said Laliberte.

 

Brianna Fowles is the secretary for Relay For Life, and this will be her third year with the club. “We have decided that Relay’s theme this year will be Dr. Seuss. We will come up with different decorations and foods to have at the event that go along with this theme,” said Fowles.

Everything that Relay does this year will go along with the Dr. Seuss theme. “Teams at the Relay event will also have tables to fundraise, and teams’ tables typically match our theme at the event,” said Fowles.

From L to R: Heather King, Brianna Fowles, and Danielle Cote.
(Photos Courtesy of Loren Marshall)

Josh Beckett, a junior, has been a part of Relay for three years now at UMF. “I relay because two of my best friends from high school are cancer survivors. Many of my friends have parents or siblings who have beaten cancer or who are currently fighting. It’s so important to me to help raise awareness and to help those who are currently battling cancer. It’s also important for me to show that an ordinary student at UMF can help make such a huge impacts,” said Beckett.

Relay is always open to accepting new members. “Making teams for Relay is easy. We always table for the event, and are open to explaining what Relay is to anyone who is curious,” said Fowles.

Relay has meetings most Monday nights at 7pm, Roberts 107. If anyone has any questions about Relay for Life, they can contact Beckett, Fowles or Laliberte.

From L to R: Meredith Laliberte and Sage van Eekhout at the Fall 2017 Club Fair. (Photo Courtesy of Loren Marshall)

Wishing Upon A Cure: Annual Relay For Life Event To Have Disney Theme

Feb 18, 2017 | News | 0 comments

By Angel Greer, Contributing Writer 

Students at UMF are hosting a Disney themed Relay for Life event for the American Cancer Society to help promote cancer awareness and raise funds to fight the disease.  The annual event will be held Friday, April 7th at 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the FRC.

Relay for Life is an all-night event where teams from UMF and the community take turns walking or running around the track at the FRC to raise money for cancer research.

To raise money for the fight against cancer, each team member is challenged to raise at least $100 before the event and to go out and find sponsors who will donate a certain amount of money towards each lap the team members make during the event.

“If a club on campus went out and asked someone to sponsor them, the sponsor could say that they want to donate $0.50 for every lap each team member takes,” said Beckett.  If there are 6 team members and they each took 40 laps each, that team would get a donation of $120 from that one sponsor.  Clubs, students, community organizations, family, and groups of friends are invited to register as a team.

Registration either online or in person is relatively easy.  “It’s only $10 and you can go right online to the Relay for Life website or give the $10 to any club member,” said Relay for Life club member Vanessa Brown, “Plus, all the money goes towards a good cause.”

When not on the track, team members can enjoy Disney themed food, games, music, and prizes which is all run and coordinated by volunteers. There will also be volunteer performances during the event, such as Clefnotes, an acapella group on campus.   

Joshua Beckett, Co-President of the Relay for Life club, asks that a team member is on the track at all times. “Cancer never sleeps or takes a break, cancer patients don’t stop fighting because they’re tired and for one night, neither do the team members,” said Beckett.

Team members also have the option to dedicate a Luminaria. “A Luminaria honors a life touched by cancer,” said Beckett. “You can dedicate them to a loved one currently battling, anyone who overcame it, or loved one you lost to cancer.”  After dark, everyone at the event takes a moment of silence to remember their loved ones they’re dedicating their time to.

Last year the club raised over $14,000 towards cancer research and hope to beat that amount this April. Other clubs at UMF also had chance to raise money for their own clubs by selling baked goods during the all-night event.  

Editor in Chief: Maxen Ryder Assistant Editor: Ashley Ward