Relay For Life Comes to USU
A celebration, a remembrance, and a fight for life relay is coming to USU. On April 11-12, students and Logan citizens will join in the fight against cancer in USU’s first Relay For Life at the Fieldhouse.
“This is a celebration of life,” said Lin Brown, relay director of the Great West Division within the American Cancer Society. “That’s why we run all day and all night, because the fight for cancer isn’t over yet.”
Each Relay For Life team will run to fight cancer, Brown said.
“Anybody can be on a team. Students should come even if they do not have a team,” Brown said. “The important thing about being on a team is that one person is always on the track, to signify that there is no finish line until we find a cure.”
The racetrack will turn into a party, said Janis Buttis, volunteer for the American Cancer Society. “We will have food, live bands, prizes and all sorts of entertainment.”
At the end of the relay, Buttis said, there will be awards handed out to those with the most logged laps, most creative team and the top fund-raising team.
“This is really a great way to get the community involved into cancer awareness,” Alesia Semborski, graduate student, said. “I wish more students could be more involved in the fight against cancer, and what better way to do it than this?”
From the survivors running lap to the luminous ceremony, Buttis said it really is a powerful and emotional ceremony from beginning to end.
“Hopefully we can bring some of this power onto the campus,” she said. “If we can just give one person the education and teach them not to be afraid, then we have made a difference.”
“Whether you know it or not, you are affected by cancer,” said Heather Barger, junior in speech and language. “Cancer is everywhere. The Relay for Life gives people a continuing reason to fight and a reason for people to live.”
Amy Howes, sophomore in mechanical engineering, said she has run for 32 miles in 24 hours at a previous relay.
“My grandmother is a cancer survivor. This is one night out of your entire life,” Howes said. “Cancer never sleeps. Why should we?”
Brown said, “People think that it is just old people that get cancer, but it is the number two killer, and one out of every three people will be diagnosed. This will be a celebration of life. Watch us fight, and watch us go.”
Registration is $10 per person, and teams can register for the event at http://events.cancer.org/rflutahstateut or at the actual relay on April 11.
-m.l.r@aggiemail.usu.edu