The Lombardi Center isn’t the only on-campus organization working to cure cancer this spring. Three weeks into its fundraising efforts, Georgetown’s Relay for Life has surpassed expectations and raised almost $60,000 for the American Cancer Society.
Around 740 people in over 100 teams have signed up to participate in the overnight walk around the track, which will take place April 20-21 on the Multi-Sport Field.
For their first Georgetown event, the ACS set a fundraising goal of $50,000. Since the end of January, Georgetown has raised $59,912, the fourth highest total for university relays nationwide.
By comparison, Georgetown’s annual Run for Rigby, a 5K run that raises money for off-campus housing safety, raised $22,000 last year.
“We broke the ACS goal, so now we’re just lettin’ it fly,” said Relay for Life Co-Chair Mike Tyler (SFS `09). “The more teams there are, the more people, and the more energy around campus there is.”
For many of the participants, Relay for Life means more than just fundraising for a good cause. Several students have had close family, friends, or neighbors affected by cancer.
Suzanne Joyce (COL `10) is the top individual fundraiser, with $1,965 so far, and a co-captain of the top fundraising team, Cloud 9, which has brought in $3,875. Joyce experienced the loss of her mother to breast cancer at a young age.
“It is important to my family to raise awareness,” she said, “and Relay is the best way to do it.”
Other teams’ participants have similar personal attachments to the cause. Eric Bodzin (COL `10), captain of the Alpha Epsilon Pi team, the current third-place fundraiser, said that the fraternity wanted to get involved in philanthropy.
“A lot of people we knew have connections to people with cancer,” he said.
Several other student clubs, residence hall floors, and groups of friends have also formed teams.
Nikali Jones (MSB `08), captain of second-place fundraisers the Vital Vittles Vixens, said that many employees have chosen to donate their tips to the Relay effort.
“So far we’ve raised over $100 from tips alone,” she said. “In the future there may be bake sales and raffle tickets.”
The efforts here at Georgetown are part of a much larger Relay for Life campaign across the country: in 2003, over 4,300 universities, hospitals, schools, and other community groups hosted Relay for Life events.
“It is great to hear that Relay is so powerful on college campuses around the nation,” Joyce said. “At the kickoff, hearing about other campus’ involvement was overwhelming.”
