The countdown to the event of this semester has finally come to an end. Relay For Life is THIS Sunday at TWO in the afternoon until TWO in the morning. Why so late you ask? Well, solely due to the fact that cancer never sleeps. This event is put together year after year around the globe, but there are still three questions to be answered:
1. What exactly is Relay For Life?
2. Why do so many people participate?
3. Who is responsible for assembling the event?
Relay For Life is an event where students, faculty, and those affected by cancer come together and spend hours inside of Gosman. Dancing teams and A capella groups provide incredible musical talent. Ceremonies are held to honor those who have been touched by cancer. Baked goods as well as a buffet of food are donated to the event. Word on the street is a bounce house will be making an appearance.
This fundraiser has been so successful because of the active and ongoing participation of the dedicated student body. Nearly all of the athletic division at Brandeis makes a conscious effort to come down and partake in the event. Senior captain of the men’s soccer team, Kyle Feather claims,
“as a team it’s important that we work together for this cause because we can get more accomplished and raise awareness when there’s thirty of us rather than 1 or 2 people. The more noise we make the more awareness and support we can create. All of us know someone who has or has had cancer and it has been or currently is painful to watch those we love suffer.”
Sophomore Sara Issacson, the Athletic Chair for the event, has been promoting each teams involvement as well as coordinating a Volleyball tournament to be played during Relay. Sara gave us some insight on this aspect:
“We want to get the word out more so that the volleyball tournament can be a huge success and get as many teams as possible. It’s hard to reach out to the entire campus. This will add another element for people to do during the event. It is difficult because we need to get people to sign up for Relay and then once they do that, sign up for the actual volleyball tournament. It can be a huge success because from my time here I have noticed how big various tournaments in Gosman can be. This can become a relay tradition and draw more people to the actual event.”
Greek life has also left a mark on Relay. Junior Lisa Feierstein, an active member of Kappa Beta Gamma, claims,
“Our team has raised A LOT of money! Some of us partake in Relay because of family members who’ve been affected by cancer. We’re doing this to support the people in our lives who have fought or are currently fighting cancer, as well as the people important to our sisters.” First years are eager to see what Relay will present. This includes first year Julia McDermott:
“Yes I did know about Relay! I think that it is a great way to bring our school community together for a common goal. And it will help me to meet a lot of new people and get more involved in similar events on campus.” Even seniors can’t wait for the day: Senior Nicole Muther; “I’ve participated with Relay in different ways each year that I’ve been at Brandeis. I’ll definitely be attending this year! Cancer affects everyone on such different levels, whether it’s directly with a family member, or through a friend of a friend. Relay allows people to participate similarly, each in their own different way.”
Now all that’s left to answer is who is behind this operation? The answer: each committee member for the event. A special shout out to the event chair, Judith Giller-Leinwohl and co-chair Lindsey Fitzpatrick. How do they do it? Well luckily Judith gave Her Campus an inside scoop:
“There is nothing more important to me than raising awareness for the effect cancer has on almost every single individual on this campus. Relay provides a supportive outlet for the community to come together, and being the one to coordinate is truly an honor. Seeing everyone come together the day of the event proves how close we can become, even in one 12-hour event. Relay is a month earlier leading us to fundraise as hard as we can because of the shorten time span! Also, I LOVE OUR COMMITTEE! Cancer often represents the worst experiences in families’ lives, and my goal is for Relay For Life to provide an opportunity to those who have been affected by cancer to fight back, and realize there is hope in this fight.”
There you have it, from the words of fellow Deisians, Relay is the place to be on Sunday. Not only to support an incredible cause but to also connect with the Brandeis campus and community. Thus far, nearly the entire campus is participating. Register today if you haven’t and get ready for a fulfilling day on Sunday!
A Special Shout Out To The Relay Committee:
Publicity
Talia Holtzman
Dylan Schlesinger (chair)
Entertainment
Sheetala Balasubramanian (chair)
Sharon Kimel
Marci Rohtstein
Ceremonies
Sarah Copel (chair)
Fundraising/Special Events
Genesis Leon (co-chairs)
Ellie Rosenthal (co-chairs)
Survivorship
Emily Greenwald (chair)
Jenny Rossman
Luminaria
Summer Koop
Maddie Engeler (chair)
Team Development
Nicole Cardona
Mission/Advocacy
Jennie Bromberg (1, chair)
Logistics
Alyssa Fenenbock (co-chair)
Online
Felix Liu Ku (chair)
Athletics
Sara Isaacson
Emma Taylor (chair)
Greek Involvement
Eduardo Keane
Chair
Judith Giller-Leinwohl
Co-Chair
Lindsay Fitzpatrick