Longwood Students Raise over $9,000 on side at Relay for Life
Nicole Dales
Issue date: 4/21/10 Section: Features
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Check in started at 4 p.m., while the event began at 7 p.m. The event took place behind the Lankford Student Union and across Stubbs Lawn. A poem was read in the kickoff that helped explain the parallel between the Relay event and cancer. At the start of Relay was the sun setting, a symbol of when a patient is first diagnosed with cancer. The time around midnight and 1 a.m., when it gets dark and cold, represents the chemotherapy.
Around 4 a.m. represents how the exhaustion patients feel, but they must continue treatment the same as the participants in Relay must continue walking. As the sun breaks in the morning, it represents coming out of treatment and recovering from cancer.
Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Jeff Halliday was the keynote speaker. His son, Kenny, was born with a Wilm's tumor on his kidney. It was removed when he was six-days-old, and when it was removed, it was the size of a softball. Luckily, Kenny's form of cancer, which is also known as nephroblastoma, is highly receptive to treatment and Kenny is now a three-year-old survivor.
The survivors in attendance were invited to participate in the survivor's lap, which is the first lap around the track. Everyone else is invited to join in once that first lap is completed, and people remain walking for the rest of Relay.
Many of the teams hosted fundraisers at their campsites, and other activities including Mz. Relay, a showing of the film Blind Side by Lancer Productions and performances by B.A.S.I.C gospel choir and the National Pan-Hellenic Council were included. "We broke every record Longwood had including the most number to teams and participants. Also we raised the most money ever with a total of about $47,000", said Maggie Santiago, who served as co-activities chair.
Claire Cooper's team, Save the Ta-Tas, took home best campsite. The theme for relay this year was "Red, White and Blue, An All American Salute to Survivors." Her team made a banner with that slogan and sold hemp and friendship bracelets. They also incorporated Virginia Tech signs in memory of the shooting that took place three years ago to the day. The group raised $95 on site for Relay.
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