Celebrating life


One of the largest student-fundraising events on campus, the 2009 Relay for Life kicks off Friday, March 6.

By Isadora Rangel

Every spring for the last five years, students and the community gather to honor people who battled against cancer and to keep fighting the disease. A fundraising tradition on campus, the 5th FIU Relay for Life starts this Friday, March 6, at 6 p.m and ends Saturday, March 7, at noon. The event will take place on the lawn in front of the Ryder building.

Inspired by the idea of an athletic relay, the Relay for Life is a national event that raises funds to support the American Cancer Society. At FIU, it is organized by a student committee and the Center for Leadership & Service and has pledged more than $200,000 over the last five years. This year organizers expect to raise $80,000.

Approximately 80 student, faculty and staff teams will participate. This year’s theme is “Hollywood,” and each team will get in the spirit by decorating its tent according to a movie of their choice. Participants fundraise before and during the event and will camp at the location and take turns on the relay track. The teams will be selling food to help fundraising.

The individual and the team that raise the most money will receive a trophy called the Hope Cup. Each team that makes it through the night will also get recognition.         

A DJ will help participants pass the time and games, competitions and live bands will be plentiful. Local bands Los Primeros, Dear Daddy Yours Truly, Danger Flow and Velvet Angels are scheduled to perform as well as the Heat Dancers.         

“We are really excited, and we want everybody from FIU to join in. It doesn’t involve staying up all night because anybody can just stop by,” said Beverly Dalrymple, director of the Center for Leadership & Service.

One of the highlights of the night will be the Luminaria Ceremony at 8:30 p.m on Friday. Under a darkened sky, participants will light up candles in honor of cancer survivors and patients who lost their battle against the disease.

“The purpose of this ceremony is to think about the cost cancer has in our lives,” said Dalrymple.

Teams can register or make donations through the FIU Relay for Life website (http://www.fiu.edu/~rfl) or at the event.  In order to register, teams need to have a 10′ by 10′ tent and pay a $100 registration fee.

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