Seton Hall’s 10th annual Relay for Life, benefitting the American Cancer Society is quickly approaching. The 12-hour fundraiser is set for Friday, April 15th in the Richie Regan Field House, and is sponsored by Colleges Against Cancer. Relay for Life is an overnight fundraiser event. Teams of people will be camping out in the field house while members of each team take turns walking around the track. There will be specific laps dedicated to cancer survivors, cancer victims, and caregivers. Relay for Life is an opportunity for members of the Seton Hall community to honor cancer survivors, those we have lost, and help fundraise to benefit the American Cancer Society. Go to www.shurelay.org to register, donate, or learn more about Relay For Life at Seton Hall.
We had the chance to talk to Nicole DeRuggiero, the President of Colleges Against Cancer. She has served on Relay for Life committees for the past 3 years, but now is organizing Seton Hall’s 10th Annual Relay for Life.
Her Campus (HC): Describe Relay for Life to someone who knows little about it.
Nicole DeRuggiero (ND): Relay For Life is an overnight event to celebrate cancer survivors, remember those who have lost their battles and fight back against this disease that has already taken too much from too many. Cancer never sleeps, so for one night, neither will we. Relay for Life take place in 5,200 communities in more than 20 countries around the world. Every Relay is unique and special in its own way.
HC: How did you get into Relay for Life at Seton Hall?
ND: Relay For Life is organized by Colleges Against Cancer, which is a student organization here at SHU. I signed up for CAC during the involvement fair freshman year and just fell in love with the mission and the people I’ve gotten to know through the club. I have been extremely active all four years of college and am proudly serving as the President for this school year.
HC: What is the most rewarding part of working on Relay for Life?
ND: I am so personally invested in the fight against cancer, so the most rewarding part of Relay for me is being able to bring the community together and allow people to share their stories, receive support from their peers, and honor their loved ones.
HC: What made you want to organize Relay for Life at Seton Hall?
ND: This is the 10th Annual Relay for Life at Seton Hall and we are really excited to honor the tradition and celebrate that anniversary. I plan to pursue a career in event planning after graduation this May and Relay has been the perfect way to get hands on experience in my field, while working for a cause that’s extremely near to my heart.
HC: Relay for Life is the conclusion of Greek Week. Are you in a Greek organization, and if not, do you think it is beneficial to make Relay for Life part of Greek Week?
ND: I am not in a Greek org but I think the Greek Life presence in Relay is an awesome addition to our event. The Greek community contains a larger number of students, so I think it’s great to culminate a week that celebrates their individual organizations and their unity as Greek community with an event that brings the entire Seton Hall community together. Our Relay is nothing without the students who fundraise and participate so the more people who are invested in it, the more amazing it can be!
HC: Do you have a personal connection at all with Relay for Life?
ND: In addition to many other family and friends who have fought brave fights with cancer, on Thanksgiving Day of my freshman year of college my uncle passed away from a long and gruesome battle with the disease. When I came back to school after that I was more driven than ever to get active with CAC and Relay. Next, in July of 2014, my cousin Michelle who graduated from Seton Hall in May of 2014, lost her father (my uncle) two months after diagnosis with stomach cancer. Most recently, on January 1st 2016, one of my roommates lost her father to health complications after his strenuous battle with cancer. Relay For Life has truly been so helpful for me in dealing with loss by celebrating life and kicking the helpless feeling that comes with watching a loved one battle the monster that cancer is. Relay reminds those who have survived, who are still fighting, or who have lost someone special that their never alone.
HC: What are some exciting things you have planned for the 12-hour evening?
ND: One crowd favorite is the Hypnotist we bring to Relay every year that always has peoples jaws dropped and gets everyone laughing. We’ll have performances from several student groups like the Dance Team and FLASH and a Zumba class will be taught later in the evening to keep people on their feet and awake. There’s also games and contests that will take place all throughout the night and were working on some special additions to help celebrate 10th Anniversary of Relay for Life at Seton Hall. There’s also the incredible Relay traditions like the Luminaria Ceremony, where we shut the lights off and illuminate the track with lighted bags that people have dedicated to their loved ones. We then take a lap around the track in silence and it is a very emotional point in the evening. It’s a humbling, unifying and beautiful experience that epitomizes what Relay is all about.
HC: What do you hope the Seton Hall community gets out of participating in Relay for Life?
ND: I think the Seton Hall community can get so much out Relay for Life. It is the second highest attended event on campus each year (only behind the SAB concerts) and it is a great way to bring the community together for a cause that I believe touches us all. I hope that those whose lives might not have been touched by cancer, can respect and understand the significance Relay has for those who have been effected. I hope that everyone who has been impacted by cancer can find support and comfort from the experience and I hope those who may not have a personal connection to the cause can be moved by the experiences of their peers and be driven to get involved. Most importantly I hope that it is night of fun, a night of remembrance and a night of unity that everyone looks forward to being a part of each year.