Second Year and Going Strong at BU
Over 1,000 volunteers make Relay for Life a wild success
In the slide show above, see images from this year’s Relay for Life. Photos by Nicole Rojas (COM’12)
Students walked, juggled, dodged balls, and donned drag overnight on Saturday, April 17, to raise money for cancer research at the second annual BU Relay for Life. Over 1,000 volunteers joined the 12-hour event, which raised $100,000 for the American Cancer Society. This year’s relay came on the heels of the American Cancer Society’s National Number One Rookie Event of the Year awarded to BU Relay for Life for raising $92,000 last year.
Students began raising money as early as September. The final stretch, the nationwide Relay for Life, was held at the Track and Tennis Center on April 17. Students tracked their fundraising efforts online and collected cash donations throughout the night.
The night kicked off with a performance of the national anthem by the Dear Abbeys, BU’s all-male a cappella group, and the first lap was walked by cancer survivors. Participating teams had at least one member on the track throughout the night. Participants sold food, gave shoulder rubs, and continued to seek donations online to help reach this year’s goal. The closing ceremony was at first light on Sunday.
Delta Gamma sorority members Dana Friedman (SHA’10) and Laurie Buchanan (CAS’10), along with their sisters, helped raise over $5,504, making Delta Gamma the top group in the online effort.
Both women know the effects of the disease firsthand: Friedman’s mother passed away after a fight with cancer, and Buchanan’s sister is currently battling Hodgkin’s lymphona.
“Our sorority is really tight-knit, and everyone felt the family connection,” says Friedman.” “If someone in our immediate family has been affected, then they too feel like they’ve been affected.”
Family wasn’t the only reason participants relayed this year. Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity members Matt Kamel (SMG’10) and Louis Chunga (CAS’10) say their reasons were philanthropic. Their fraternity raised $1,961 this year, nearly double last year’s amount.
Despite their best efforts, BU students were not able to match the $125,000 raised by Boston College. The rivalry between the two schools extends beyond sports, however, so next year offers another chance.
Relay for Life student coordinator Alan Hoang (CAS’11) encourages students to continue fundraising. Online donations end August 31.
More information on Relay For Life at BU is available here or by contacting Colleges Against Cancer at BU at RelayBU@gmail.com.
Nicole Rojas can be reached at nrojas@bu.edu; follow her on Twitter at @nrojas0131.
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