Bringing the “Relay” Home to UM

For the past five years now, I have participated in the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising activity Relay For Life in my hometown of Sarasota, Florida. It is an overnight event where teams of ten to fifteen people walk or run around a track in an effort to fight cancer and support those affected by this disease. Relay was started in the mid 1980s by Dr. Gordon Klatt, a surgeon from Tacoma, Washington. He was looking for a way to raise the income of his local American Cancer Society. Money is raised before and during the event by individuals and through team fundraising that is donated towards cancer treatments and finding a cure.

The event opens with an honorary first lap by cancer survivors. It is followed by the special Luminaria Ceremony which begins at dark. Individual lights outline the track in a sentimental moment of inspiration and hope. The event continues into the morning where it ends with a closing ceremony.

On Friday, April 1^st, and into the morning of April 2^nd, I participated in the Pinecrest/ Palmetto Bay and University of Miami Relay For Life hosted by Palmetto Senior High; my sixth consecutive Relay. I was a member of one of nine teams that participated from UM; there were fifteen additional community teams. As I walked my share of laps and the Luminaria Ceremony brought tears to my eyes, I began to wonder why this Relay For Life was not held on UM’s campus. It would be to UM’s benefit to support the cancer patients and survivors who are a part of the UM community. “The American Cancer Society Relay For Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one-day cancer will be eliminated.” (From www.cancer.org)

With a voice in this newspaper, I want express to my fellow students the necessity and importance of bringing an event of this positive nature to the school. Last year, UM participated in the Coral Gables Relay For Life, and with each year, the number of teams and money raised has doubled. This year roughly one hundred UM students raised over $10,000. Without question there could be hundreds more to line a track on the IM fields if Relay For Life came to campus.

Cancer does not discriminate against anyone. Every dollar donated towards the American Cancer Society is a step towards finding a cure. If Relay For Life is held at UM, I know that the number of people participating, the number of teams formed, and the amount of money raised will greatly exceed what was achieved this year and last year. Contact umrelay4life@hotmail.com to get involved with UM’s Relay For Life and visit www.cancer.org to visit the American Cancer Society’s website.

This article published in "The Hurricane"