Students gathered on the Greek Village field Friday night to raise money for cancer research as a part of N.C. State’s 11th annual Relay for Life event.
Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s largest fundraiser, during which registered teams raise money all year. Though a yearlong effort, the actual relay events take place during the course of one night as teams of people take turns walking around a track or trail to raise money. Approximately 3.5 million people participate nationwide.
Each hour of the event had a themed lap. The theme of the first lap was celebrating cancer survivors. Survivors circled the track together and helped everyone celebrate the victories they achieved faced with cancer. The survivor’s lap is an emotional example of how Relay fo Life participants are creating a world with more birthdays.
Registered teams circled the field with their stations. Each organization sold some sort of baked goods, birthday cake or offered games to play to raise money for cancer.
Pi Beta Phi had a game of bra Ping-Pong, but Veterans Against Cancer was the winning team and raised the most money with $4,806.
Dance Visions, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Unichords, NCSSM’s KWAVE and N.C. State’s Ladies in Red performed at the event. Campus Recreation held a Zumba class.
The event also consisted of a volleyball tournament, Ms. Relay Pageant, Wolf Pack shag dancing, yoga, Sube Ritmo and ultimate Frisbee.
“Getting involved and coming together is powerful,” said Alexa Passarotti, a senior in psychology and the co-chair of NCSU Relay for Life.
During the night, Greek Village Field shut off the lights and prepared for the luminary ceremony, a time to remain silent, to grieve for those who were lost to cancer and for each person to reflect on the effects of cancer.
Jennifer Gilmore, director of marketing and communications for Campus Enterprises, and Cindy Peterson spoke during the ceremony. Both women spoke in regards to their memories of Ian Peterson, a senior who lost his battle with advanced Burkitt’s lymphoma, a cancer of B-lymphocyte white-blood cells of the immune system, in February.
Brennan Clark, a sophomore in mathematics education and a member of the a cappella group, the Grains of Time, also expressed his memories of Ian, a former member.
When Ian was diagnosed with cancer on Oct. 3, 2012, his mother, Cindy, said that Ian wanted to name his cancer so he could hate it and beat it. He decided to name his cancer Bessie. As a family, the Petersons entered into a battle to defeat Bessie.
“Ian had a work ethic unmatched,” Gilmore said. “I was lucky to have been Ian’s professional mentor.”
In her speech, Peterson thanked everyone for raising funds for cancer research and treatment.
“You’re saving someone’s life,” Peterson said.
Grains of Time performed the song Lean on Me. They said they sang it to Ian in the hospital.
Peterson also shared that there will be a bone marrow drive held in Ian’s honor Monday, April 15. She encouraged students to be the match that someone else needs and said Ian would be cheering them on.
The event ended with the fight back ceremony in which participants made a personal commitment to save lives and take up the fight against cancer.
Mindy Sopher, an academic advisor in First Year College and Academic Advising services was a featured speaker. She has survived three attacks of breast cancer and recurrences since 1989. She also battled uterine cancer and has been cancer free for 28 months. She loved that all students, touched by cancer or not, were trying to make a difference and fight it.
“Relay for Life is one of the few events on campus that cut across all ages, majors, races and religions,” Sopher said.
