Illinois State hosted their annual Relay for Life walk at Redbird Arena this past weekend.
For those who have not participated before, Relay is hosted by The American Cancer Society as a fundraising event to spread awareness of cancer and raise money for further research in hopes to find a cure. Participants created teams and raised money through donations as they camped out all night. The walk lasted from 6 P.M. until 6 A.M. and was filled with various fundraising opportunities to benefit the foundation. 12 hours of walking seems exhausting, but there were plenty of activities throughout the night to keep everyone entertained! Games, music, dance performances, food, and heartfelt speeches were a few of the things that kept participants wide awake.
Although Relay is a ton of fun, it was also an extremely emotional night for all. Beginning with the Survivors Lap, those who have beaten the disease were commemorated for their fight. The Luminaria Ceremony honors those who have passed and are still fighting. This took place later in the night when bags with names of those to be recognized were placed around the track with candles inside. The tribute tooks place in a dark setting and had an immense effect on everyone in the room. The support displayed among the teams was a moving site to see. Luminaria bags were available for purchase online and at Relay itself.
Relay is truly an amazing even to partake in. As a survivor myself, it is incredible to see people come together in an effort to celebrate more birthdays. Any donation made is a step closer to finding a way to completely cure this horrid disease. We have all been affected in some way by cancer, and Relay is one of the many ways you can be a hero and show support. Illinois State proudly stands at a current 858 participant number for this year, raising over $60,000 so far. I promise if you take that $5 you were going to spend on a beer cup tonight and chose to donate it to the American Cancer Society you will be making a difference in someone’s life. The Relay for Life event has always proved to be a huge success here at ISU and we hope it continues that way for many years to come!
Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.