Once a year, members of the PhilaU community gather at the Gallagher Center for games, food, and entertainment in an event called Relay For Life. Relay is one of the main fundraisers that benefit the American Cancer Society. It is meant to honor loved ones we have lost to cancer, lend support to those currently suffering, and celebrate the survivors through a series of fundraising activities. This year featured moon bounces, a scavenger hunt, a performance by the dance team, a comedian, karaoke, and a hilarious lip-sync battle.
For our Her Campus table, we set up a game called “Bra-Pong”, where people can win a variety of items from our Spring survival kit including make-up, hair products, 5-hour energy, and coupons. We also had a “Kiss Cancer Away” poster and flyers that inform men and women about breast cancer and how to properly check yourself for any signs.
The event started with the opening ceremony, where everyone stood for the National Anthem and a cancer survivor, Louise, gave an encouraging speech that talked about the importance of Relay and the American Cancer Society. The ceremony ended with teams walking laps around the gym in support of those battling cancer.
Following the opening ceremony was an emotional performance by the PhilaU dance team to the song “Fix You” by Coldplay. Then came the Lip-Sync Battle. The performance by a group of guys from the AXP fraternity to “Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears filled the gym with laughter, and they ended up winning.
After the lip-sync battle it was time for limbo. The last three remaining players got to select a Relay For Life item from the prize table. There was also a scavenger hunt, where CAB took first prize and a blow-up obstacle course just for fun. Towards the end of the night, a few brave souls took to the stage for karaoke. The most memorable performances were by an amazingly talented group that sang “Put Your Records On” and a hilarious rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’” by a few Sigma Nu pledges. At 10 p.m., comedian Jessi Campbell from Last Comic Standing performed a stand-up routine. Slowly after, teams started packing up their tables and heading home. I would say this year’s Relay was definitely a success. Games, food, activities, and entertainment all for a great cause. If you have Relay for Life, or something similar at your school, I highly recommend getting involved!