UMass Students Host Annual Relay for Life on Campus

Hundreds of students braved the early afternoon showers Saturday to take part in UMass Dartmouth's annual Relay for Life fundraising event. 

Nearly 30 teams consisting of over 400 participants took part in this year's event, and have so far raised $40,000 toward the group's $50,000 goal, according to Amanda Robinson and Gabby Colonies, both seniors and members of the Relay for Life of UMass Dartmouth Committee. Fundraising will continue until the end of August.

All teams have their own unique fundraising campaigns based on their core group of members. They range from sororities and fraternities, athletic teams, student clubs and more.

The ceremonial first lap was led by 20 survivors, as is tradition with most Relays.

Participants walked a half-mile course along the campus quad throughout the day from noon until midnight. Team members would set up "campsites" along the quad where members would rest while others took turns walking.

Aside from the walking, special events took place every hour. Some were fun like relay races and lip sync contests, while others were more heartfelt and revolved around the Relay for Life message to find a cure for cancer.

The luminaria ceremony takes place after dark and everyone is given a glow-stick. After a poem is read, anyone who has or had cancer is asked to crack their glow-stick. Next, anyone with a family member that's had cancer cracks theirs, and it continues until eventually everyone's glow-stick is lit.

"Eventually everyone's glow-stick is cracked because cancer effects everyone," Robinson said. "I think it's really awesome and really emotional too."

"It's a great event for everyone to get together and celebrate and fight back," said Colonies. "It's nice to get the campus involved, get students involved because we don't always get to do that."

For more information and to donate, click here.