Loyola Fights Cancer at Relay
By Maureen O’Donoghue
On Saturday March 27, 2010 at 7 p.m. Loyola University held its sixth annual Relay for Life in Reitz Arena where students, faculty, family, and friends came together to celebrate, remember and fight back against cancer by raising money for the American Cancer Society at a 12 hour event that lasted until 7 a.m. on Sunday.
This year, headed by junior event co-chairs Amanda Gaal and Jess Aumack, the Loyola community raised approximately $180,000 in donations. Participants had to pay a mandatory 10-dollar entry fee and were then asked to send letters to family and friends asking for contributions to the cause. Prior to Relay for Life, Primos Cafe, Evergreen Café, and other local businesses offered days when proceeds would go towards Loyola’s Relay for Life. The Relay committee also sold t-shirts and raffles at the event.
The 1,556 participants at Relay, each a member of one of the 125 teams, experienced a night of non-stop events and performances organized by the 150 student members of the Relay for Life committee that met every Tuesday for an hour beginning back in September.
The evening began at 7 p.m. with an opening ceremony where sophomore Tim Fitzgerald spoke about his battle with cancer when he was 18 years old. As the evening commenced, different activities began throughout the Student Center, McGuire Hall, and Reitz Arena. The Chimes and Belles, the men’s and women’s student a cappella groups, each put on different performances throughout the night and during a “Trash Fashion Show” participants collected different items and resources to make an interesting outfit. Participants also dressed up in sumo wrestling suits for wrestling matches against one another. Later, sophomore Ernie Menold won the title “Mr. Loyola” after he competed in a three round competition against eleven other participants in the “Mr. Loyola Contest.”
Free massages were offered to participants outside of McGuire Hall and Moxie Hair Studios gave away free haircuts to participants willing to donate a minimum of eight inches to the non-profit organization, Locks of Love. Locks of Love uses donated hair to make wigs for cancer patients under the age of 21. Sophomore Nina Shander donated eight inches of her hair and said she was inspired by the energy and atmosphere that evening to donate her hair and by her desire to help out cancer patients.
“I figured I don’t need it. They need it a lot more, so I might as well,” said Shander. “Hopefully it will make someone’s life that’s fighting cancer a little better.”
In the wee hours of the morning participants to travel to locations as far as the new Ridley Athletic Complex to earn points a scavenger hunt and a “Double Dare” game show competition tested participants with questions and physical challenges. The five teams that participated in the food contest were asked to eat as many goodies, including purple cupcakes and Hershey’s kisses, as they could. Finally, during the “Dancing in through the Decades” period, participants danced to a different song representing each decade until the closing ceremony began at 6 a.m.
Perhaps the most important and certainly the most moving aspect of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life was the Luminaria Ceremony, which took place at 9:30 p.m. Participants were asked to come together to reflect on the cause of Relay for Life and remember those who have died and to honor those who have battled cancer. Sophomores Ali Fulton and Kirsten Schenk both spoke about their fathers’ who recently lost battles with cancer.
Sophomore event co-chair Janine Obiedzinski spoke about the effect she thinks Relay for Life has on people. “I think it has a very positive effect on everyone, because it gives people a place to show their emotions and if they have lost someone to cancer to grieve for them and also if they haven’t lost someone to cancer to then support those that have.” said Obiedzinski. “It gives people a chance to come together for a common cause.”
All photos taken by sophomore Janine Obiedzinski.
