Listen Here
By Ellen Hoffman and Devon Aragona
There’s no place like home or in this case there’s no place like Findlay.
This year’s theme for the University of Findlay’s Colleges against Cancer club’s seventh annual Relay for Life event is the Wizard of Oz.
Colleges against Cancer have been an active club for more than five years. Its Relay for Life event is where people can come together and honor those who have fallen or are fighting against cancer while also helping raise funds for the American Cancer Society.
Colleges against Cancer’s current president, Emily Stout, a senior occupational therapy major, became involved with this club after learning about it at welcome week.
“My father passed away from caner when I was younger, and when I found the club at welcome week, it felt right,” Stout says. “And it as been a wonderful club to be apart of.”
Over the years, UF’s Colleges against Cancer has raised thousands of dollars to give to cancer research. Last year the group collected $7,298.54.
“We want to go above and beyond that amount this year. Maybe try to collect $8,000 or more,” said Kari Kahl, senior occupational therapy major, one of the event’s co-chairwomen.
Alyssa Dymond, a senior physical therapy major and co-chairwoman of Relay for Life with Kahl, hopes that there will be a big turnout for the event this year.
“We want people to join in to show their support for people fighting against or who have lost a battle with cancer,” said Dymond.
Dymond says that Relay for Life is an event that can help show all the support in the world to the people who have had a fight with cancer. Being a part of this event will help show the survivors and the fighters that you care and that you want to make a difference.
Dymond says Relay for Life is a celebration of people who have fought or won against cancer.
UF’s Colleges against Cancer club encourages students to come out and get involved.
According to the club, participants will be able to put a friend in a giant, human hamster balls, called zorbes, and watch them roll around. They will listen to music and walk around the FRC saying, ‘There’s no place like home’ with the different themed laps.
“My favorite part of Relay for Life is the luminaire bags with glow sticks in them in memory of the people who have lost their lives or to honor the fighters,” said Stout.
Stout says that becoming involved with Relay for Life is simple and can make a big difference to the people who are there fighting with cancer.
“Planning and organizing this event with fellow students has allowed to learn so much about Relay for Life,” said Kathryn Zimmerly, senior occupational therapy major. “How it advocates and raises money that directly affects our local communities.”
Relay for Life will be on March 28 at the Kohler Fitness Center from 1 to 6 p.m., with a survivor’s lunch at noon. The survivors, who are invited from all around Hancock county, will walk the first lap to kick off the event.
You can sign up solo or you can make a team and raise money together. To sign up, go to relayforlife.com or by contacting the president of Colleges against Cancer, Emily Stout at stoute@findlay.edu.
