Last Thursday, the Hopkins chapter of Relay for Life held its annual Kick-Off event, opening up student registration as this year’s fund raising efforts for the American Cancer Society get underway.
“Kick-Off is a great way to welcome back returning teams and encourage students to register for Relay and create their own teams!” Lauren Lipshutz, executive co-chair of Relay for Life, wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “It is the official start of Relay for the year.”
The Kick-off event, which was held in the Gilman Atrium, brought together both people who had already signed up as well as those interested in the cause.
“I was really happy with kick-off!” Executive Co-Chair Kelly Chu wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “A ton of people came out to learn more about Relay, and we got a lot of new registrations for our event, as well!”
33 teams, comprised of 342 members, are currently registered for the Relay.
“There are a lot more teams signing up earlier in the year than in past years,” the co-chairs of Relay wrote. “The student body’s interest is definitely comparable to, if not greater than, past years.”
Still, the co-chairs believe that more can be done to increase student body interest and participation.
“Obviously every organization is not perfect, but we have a really great committee this year, and I’m really excited to work with all of them over the next few months,” Chu wrote. “This year, one of our main goals is getting 100 percent Greek involvement, which we’ve already been working towards by having Relay become part of Greek Week.”
The fundraising goal this year is simply to beat last year’s $50,000 total. So far, $10,595 has been raised, but events like a charity a cappella concert in the winter and monthly online fundraising challenges, like March Madness, will help Relay get closer to its goal.
Freshman Elizabeth Couch, this year’s top fundraiser to date, has set a personal goal of $5,000 for the Relay. In an email to The News-Letter, she described her personal connection to the cause.
“This past summer, my dad was diagnosed with mucosal melanoma. This is his second time being diagnosed with cancer, the first of which he beat eleven years ago. I was able to be there for him all throughout the summer, so coming to college was an even bigger adjustment than I had imagined because I can’t be home at a time when he needs me most,” Couch wrote.
Even for Couch, however, joining Relay was not an easy decision.
“When I heard about Relay for Life at Hopkins, I was initially hesitant about joining because I didn’t want people to know about my dad. However, I ultimately decided to join, and now I could not be more thrilled at the overwhelming support Team Tom has received and how successful our kickoff event was,” Couch wrote. “Relay has helped me both embrace the unfortunate situation my family is in and learn to fight back. Every bit of support for Relay counts toward finding a cure not just for my dad, but for everyone else’s loved one out there who is battling this horrible disease.”
The same sentiment was echoed by many of the 45 Relay committee members.
“Everyone knows someone who has had cancer, and Relay For Life is a really special way to come together to honor survivors and raise money in the hope of finishing the fight,” Lipshutz wrote. “The [American Cancer Society] is an incredible organization that helps cancer patients and survivors through many different programs, and the money from Relay For Life events supports these programs.”
Furthermore, the co-chairs of Relay emphasized how fundraising is only part of what the club does.
“Relay’s involvement with the American Cancer Society does not end with fundraising. Each month, the group travels to the Hope Lodge in Baltimore and cooks dinner. We also try to get survivors involved at our event by inviting them to a dinner before the event,” the co-chairs of Relay wrote. “Our education/advocacy committee is also in charge of getting petitions signed to raise awareness about issues facing cancer patients and survivors.”
Relay activities are fairly consistent year to year, with events meant to celebrate, remember, and fight back against the disease always featured.
“12-hour walk in April is our huge culminating event. Our event is a time to come together to remember survivors and honor survivors through the survivor dinner and Luminaria ceremony that reminds us why we Relay,” Lipshutz wrote. “At the same time, it is a huge celebration that brings the whole campus together for one night in support of a great cause.”
This year’s Relay will be held on April 5. The co-chairs of Relay expressed their excitement about the event and the activities that the Planning Committee has put on the docket.
“There will be a lot of events planned the night of, including a Miss Relay pageant, a cappella and dance group performances, as well as lots of food and more fun entertainment!” they wrote.
Until then, it is the hope of the Relay for Life committees, as well as the many team members, to educate, advocate and spread awareness about the American Cancer Society and the disease in order to recruit new participants and donors, fostering an empowering sense of community across campus.
“As I’ve settled more into my freshman year, I am starting to see how supportive the Hopkins community is of Relay for Life’s goals. Everyone who I have talked to about Relay has been eager to either donate, participate in the event, or even just spread the word about Relay to their friends,” Couch wrote. “It’s been really great to see how much people want to help out and work with us to help find a cure.”
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