Name: Melissa Oliver
Year: Senior
Hometown: Weston, FL
Major: Media Production and Social Work
Courtesy: Melissa Oliver
Her Campus (HC): Hi, Melissa. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me today! Before we get started, could you give our readers a quick run-down about Relay for Life and what the event entails?
Melissa Oliver (MO): Sure! Relay is an overnight event in the spring semester that benefits the American Cancer society that provides cancer research, funding and resources. Even though it starts in the spring, it’s a year-long event and we start to fundraise for next year’s event as soon as the current event is over.
HC: So since you’ve been fundraising since the end of last spring, is there a specific goal you have in mind?
MO: We do! Our goal this year is $300,000. Last year’s goal was $250,000 and we surpassed that by over $66,000 so $300,000 is very doable.
HC: Wow, that’s incredible. Are you doing anything differently this year in order to achieve this goal?
MO: We are doing something a little different. We’ve introduced the council program which means more leaders, more ideas, more specific focus on certain aspects and more hands helping us reach our goal. This expedites the process and makes for a much smoother, more efficient fundraising year.
HC: So obviously being organized has helped you get this far, but what was the initial push that made you join Relay for Life and when did you start?
MO: Well, I started my freshman year of high school by helping set up the luminarias and instantly fell in love with the event.
HC: And for those that don’t know, could you explain what the luminaria ceremony is?
MO: Luminarias are a symbol that we use to represent and honor those that fought or are currently fighting cancer and in memory of those that we’ve lost to cancer. We take paper bags, write the person’s name we are honoring on the bag and put a candle inside of it. Then we take those bags and place then around the track at the event; they help illuminate the track and it’s really beautiful.
HC: It sounds like a beautiful ceremony. If there’s one thing you would want our readers to take away from this event, what would it be?
MO: Always ask why someone does Relay for Life; you never know why and their reason might surprise you.
HC: Relay for Life does seem like a very personal event and someone always has a reason for why they do what they do. On a lighter note, since you are a Campus Celebrity, where can we find you on a Friday night?
MO: [Laughs] Honestly, you could probably find me on the couch, eating with my best friends or out to dinner with them.
HC: Do you have a favorite Tallahassee restaurant?
MO: Gordos, for sure.
HC: Current Netflix binge?
MO: Grey’s Anatomy. Once I started, I couldn’t stop; it’s consuming my life.