At Rhodes College, it’s easy to catch the community service bug. From Bonner to Kinney, Special Olympics to Rites to Play, Greek events to club bake sales, you can hardly turn a corner without finding a way to give back.
But last year, junior Rachel Schmelzer took volunteerism and community service to a whole new level. She didn’t just bake cookies, or fundraise. Instead, Rachel started Relay for Life at Rhodes, involved nearly 1/8 of the student body, and raised over $15,000 for cancer research. Not bad for someone who’s also involved in Greek life, works for the football team, and volunteers at Church Health Center!
According to Rachel, it was her high school experience that first inspired her to bring Relay to Rhodes. “I loved participating in Relay For Life so much in high school, and I knew that it wasn’t something I wasn’t ready to give up in college. Surprised that we didn’t already have a Relay, I knew that I needed to bring the fun to Rhodes! College Relays are even more fun than the ones in high school, and I hoped that the service-minded student body would jump on the bandwagon.” While she was at first uncertain of how peers would respond to this brand-new organization, she credits advertising and the perks of a small campus for the quick spread of Relay-fever. Though inclement weather forced last year’s event inside the BCLC, it was still an incredible success; at one point, there were over 250 people in the gym!
After such a great first year, the Rhodes Relay for Life team has high hopes for the second year. “Our goal is to raise $30,000,” Rachel explained. “We aim to double our participants, and involve more faculty, staff and alumni.” To help her accomplish this ambitious goal, Rachel works with two “wonderful” advisors and a committee of about twenty Rhodes students. The hardest part of being the leader of such an organization? Delegating! “Relay is something so big it takes a whole team to pull off. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow,” Rachel said.
But for Rachel and the many other students intimately involved, the hard work is more than worth it. One of Rachel’s best friends, Laura, passed away from cancer this past October, and one of her favorite things every year was participating in Relay. “The most rewarding aspect of leading such an amazing organization is honoring my best friend’s life through my work” Rachel explained.
In five years, Rachel hopes that Relay will be a tradition at Rhodes, as popular as Rites of Spring or All Sing. It’s a great combination of philanthropy and fun that has the potential to really take hold on a campus like Rhodes. Using the Relay for Life mantra “Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back” as her guide, she says “we want to celebrate the survivors we have, remember those we’ve lost, and fight back so our future selves, children, and future generations can be cancer free!”
When Rachel graduates, she hopes to become a pediatric oncologist, and stay involved with non-profits. If she had one super power, it would be the ability to send emails with her mind. She loves the Rhodes community, crafts, and baking.
Interested in becoming involved with Relay for Life at Rhodes? Rachel explains how:
It is so easy to participate in our event. If you have 8-10 friends and care about fighting cancer, then you can start a team and participate in the event, or just come solo for the festivities and fun! If you already are involved in a student organization, just form a team around them. No need to over-extend you’re already “service-minded” schedule! We have already booked some killer entertainment, and are planning some awesome games. The best part of the event, the Luminaria ceremony will be better than ever, and no one will be able to miss us with our location being in the center of campus! For the record, it is not a 5K. It is a benefit walk, with an emphasis on the benefit, not on the walk. Think block party. We are so excited to see the turnout for our event and hope that you’ll come check us out! Feel free to visit our website: www.relayforlife.org/rhodescol… or on Facebook at Rhodes Relay For Life.