By Kaitlin Bavaro
Features Editor
Colleges against cancer (CAC) hosted their Relay for Life event at the College on Nov. 11, an event to raise money for those affected by cancer. An indoor track was set up for participants to walk laps around the Brower Student Center.
The event had food, drinks, games and activities such as corn hole, kan jam, giant jenga, sand art, face painting, keep your hands on the table and hair tinseling. Many of the activities were related to the theme of the event, which was “Wave Goodbye to Cancer,” a beach/boardwalk theme. Alpha Epsilon Pi ran a “jail” where attendees could put their friends in by making a donation, and to get out of the jail that person would need to double the donation.
There were performances by various organizations of the College, including The Treblemakers, Tap Dance, Trentones and a member of the fraternity Kappa Delta Rho.
The money that was fundraised at this event was for the American Cancer Society. According to the vice president of CAC and junior applied mathematics major Alexa Karamonoogian, over $16,500 was raised in total.
The organization received donations from cash, Venmo and fundraising events such as apparel sales, hair tinsel tabling, sticker sales, Panera fundraisers and more.
The event was cosponsored by Alpha Epsilon Pi, Sigma Kappa and Kappa Delta Rho. There were 150 people in attendance.
In the opening ceremony, survivors and caregivers of those with cancer were honored with an opening walk. Later on in the event, a luminaria ceremony was held with lanterns to honor those who had passed from cancer. This ceremony concluded with two laps with a slide show of some of CAC member’s loved ones who had passed from cancer.
There was always at least one person in each team walking laps on the track, to signify that “cancer doesn’t stop, so neither do we,” said Megan Ring, co-president of CAC and a senior elementary education and iStem major.
“Teams are encouraged to all walk together to support each other in this fight against cancer,” Ring said.
Many people who attended the event, or are a part of CAC have been affected by cancer. Ring’s father had passed away of cancer after battling for two years, and Karamanoogian’s uncle, great grandmother and her sister also had passed from cancer. These personal experiences gave them, and many others, the passion to join CAC and do what they can to aid in the fight against cancer.
“If there’s one thing to describe Relay for Life it’s community,” Karamanoogian said. “So many people have been impacted by this horrible disease and no one deserves to fight alone.”
Ring also shared her thoughts on the community she found from CAC.
“The purpose of Relay for Life is not only to raise awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society but also to build a community of support for those who may need it,” Ring said. “We all come together for different reasons, whether it be in support of, in memory of, or to celebrate a loved one’s, or your own, victory over cancer, we all have unfortunately been touched by it in one way or another. By hosting events like these, we are reminded that we are not alone in this fight and one day, we will create a world where no one has to hear those dreadful words: ‘You have cancer.’”
For more information about getting involved with CAC at the College, email cac@tcnj.edu.
