Event Chairs Emily Moffat, Molly Paris and Dan Silkman (Photo courtesy of Dan Silkman)
Unless you’ve been hiding in your dorm for the past year, you must have noticed Relay for Life’s huge presence on campus. From the posters and flyers covering the walls to the numerous events throughout the year and daily tabling in Red Square, Relay has been working diligently for months leading up to their big event this Friday night, April 12. None of this would be possible without the major dedication and work the event chairs put into Relay. Emily Moffat (COL ’13), Molly Paris (SFS ’13), and Dan Silkman (COL ’15) have been working endlessly to make sure everything runs smoothly for the big night. Her Campus Georgetown caught up with these busy chairs to discuss Relay and their personal experiences with the club. To learn more about Georgetown Relay for Life or to make a donation, check out their Facebook page!
1. Why did you join Relay for Life and how did you become involved as a Chair?
Emily Moffat: I joined Relay in freshman year around January because my uncle had died of cancer the summer before I came to Georgetown, and my friend lost her mother to cancer that Thanksgiving. I became more and more aware of how many people cancer affects, and how horribly these people struggle. I joined the Executive Committee my sophomore year as co-chair of recruitment, which was also my position last year. I applied for chair last spring, because I feel so strongly about this cause and I wanted to do as much as I could to make a change.
Molly Paris: I first did Relay for Life when I was a freshman in high school so this will be my eighth Relay. My interest in Relay stems from familial experience with cancer, as my cousin died at a very young age from a brain tumor and my grandpa recently died from lung cancer. I have and will continue to work with the American Cancer Society because I believe that there can be a day with less cancer and more birthdays. At Georgetown, I have been involved with Relay since I got here. I was first on the general committee, then for the past two years I was entertainment chair, and now I am event chair!
Dan Silkman: I first experienced Relay in high school and was so inspired by all of the people that I met. Talking with survivors and caregivers made me acutely aware of how this disease affects all members of our community, which motivated me to get more involved in the planning process. Then, as a freshman at Georgetown, I found an incredible group of people who love Georgetown Relay and the tradition that it has established on the Hilltop. Working together for such a life-changing cause brings our campus together, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of such an important movement. Being chair has been one of the most fulfilling and humbling experiences of my life because I get to work with people who truly understand what it means to be a Hoya for others.
[pagebreak]
2. The big event for Relay is this weekend, so what did you and the club do leading up to it?
EM: We do a lot of things throughout the year leading up to the actual event in April. This year, we have been working hard to change the image on campus that Relay is [only] about one night, because really it is a yearlong fight against cancer. That is why we introduced Fall Kickoff, an event in October that lasted 10 hours and culminated in speeches from a few Executive Board members, a student cancer survivor, and our American Cancer Society representative. We thought it was a huge success.
MP: Our event in April is the amalgamation of a whole year of effort on the part of our entire committee. As a nearly 2,000-person, 12-hour-long event, Relay for Life is logistically complex to plan. We work with many different departments on campus to make sure that our event goes as planned. During the academic year leading up to the event, our committee plans events, fundraisers, and awareness campaigns for campus. For the first time in the history of Georgetown Relay, we had a Fall Kickoff Event … [and] in the spring we have an acapella benefit concert, a spring kickoff event, a cancer symposium, and our big event!
DS: Relay For Life is an all-year organization that focuses on fundraising and recruiting for our event, but, most importantly, we emphasize sharing stories and engaging the Georgetown community in service. Relay volunteers host events, visit the Hope Lodge in Baltimore to get to know cancer patients and their families, and work with the Lombardi Cancer Center on the medical campus. Then, our culminating Relay For Life event brings our entire Georgetown community together for one night in celebration.
3. How would you describe Relay for Life to someone who was unfamiliar with the program?
EM: Relay for Life is a yearlong fundraising initiative for the American Cancer Society. In April, we come together at an overnight event on Harbin field, where we celebrate those who have won their fights against cancer, remember those who have not, and fight back against a disease that we believe can be cured in our lifetime.
MP: Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising activity. It represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one day, cancer will be eradicated. Relay at Georgetown is organized for charitable purposes. More specifically, it is designed to celebrate cancer survivorship and to raise money for medical research and services funded by the American Cancer Society. The money that we raise comes back to the university in the form of grants that are awarded to the Georgetown Lombardi Center for research, fellowships, and other services. Georgetown Relay for Life hosts events, awareness campaigns, and advocacy programs that bring campus together in order to promote a cause that affects every person in one way or another. After a year of hard work, Georgetown Relay culminates in one campus-wide celebration that unites Hoyas for one night, for one cause, and as one community.
DS: Georgetown Relay For Life is an all-night walkathon that takes place every year on Harbin Field. Teams of students from all over campus (from cultural groups to performing arts troupes to academic departments to athletic programs) register for the event and pitch tents and walk around the field. Several ceremonies highlight the tenets of the American Cancer Society: we Celebrate the victories of survivors and caregivers during the Opening Ceremony and Survivor Lap, we Remember our loved ones lost to cancer during the Luminaria Ceremony, and we Fight Back by raising money for a cure. There’s always food and entertainment, as well, bringing together the campus community for one night, for one cause, and as one Georgetown.
[pagebreak]
4. What’s your favorite thing you’ve done with Relay so far?
EM: The event in April is always the most exciting part of our year, and I love the closing ceremonies in particular, where we all group around the center of Harbin field and thank everyone who has helped us to make a difference that year. We also did a flash mob last year, which was totally random and ended up being really fun.
MP: My favorite thing at Relay are the survivors. At our event in April we invite survivors from the local area as well as those who are in our own Georgetown community to come to our event. They are treated with a survivor dinner, given gifts, and honored in a survivor ceremony at the beginning of the event. The moment when the survivors take the first lap around the track is when I know that all of the work we have done throughout the year has been worth it.
DS: I mentioned the Hope Lodge trips, and these for me are some of the most valuable experiences that we have with Georgetown Relay. The American Cancer Society funds a variety of programs for cancer patients and their families, and this particular service has special meaning to me. Speaking with patients and listening to their stories highlights the mission of our organization, putting a face to the dollars that we raise and offering a beautiful context for the victories that we celebrate at our culminating event. These Hope Lodge patients are able to stay for free at this beautiful facility for the duration of their cancer treatment, and they’re so grateful to be able to eat dinner with Georgetown students once a month. We were told that we were “such blessings,” though we know that they are the ones offering us the biggest gifts of all: strength to keep fighting and hope for a cure.