Trine raising cancer funds

Relay for Life is April 18

 

On Saturday from 6 p.m.to Sunday at noon, Trine University teams will band together to raise funds for cancer research in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Steuben County in Hershey Hall.

Local cancer survivors will be honored during the Survivor Celebration, which will kick off the Relay for Life event. The celebration is a chance for survivors and caregivers to experience healing, receive support, and celebrate their collective victory over cancer. Cancer survivors will be given special shirts to wear as they lead a victory lap around Hershey Hall in honor of their triumph over cancer.

Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature event for raising funds and awareness for cancer research and patient programs. For 18 hours, the Trine community of family members, friends and co-workers of those who have faced cancer will form teams, camp out, and take turns walking laps in Hershey Hall for donations. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times as a reminder that cancer never sleeps. 

“Relay for Life is a place where you can go to share your story without saying a word,” said Jake Bristol, a freshman psychology major and chairman of Trine University’s Relay for Life sub-committee.

The luminary ceremony takes place after sundown and lies at the heart of the event. Luminaries are small lit bags decorated with the names of people who have faced cancer. The lit bags will line the walking area of Hershey Hall into the morning hours.

“The sight of the luminaries glowing in the darkness is breathtaking,” said Katelyn Storms, a junior sport management major at Trine. “The luminary ceremony brings to light the impact cancer has had on our community and inspires us to do everything possible to find a cure.”

Luminaries are available from a Relay for Life participant or by calling 260.665.4147. They will also be available at the event. Donations for luminaries support the American Cancer Society’s mission of eliminating cancer as a major health problem through research, education, advocacy and service.

The American Cancer Society was founded in 1913. It has national headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., as well as 13 regional divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United States. For more information, call 1.800.ACS.2345 or visit www.cancer.org.