Claremont Colleges Relay For Life, the 24-hour event raising money for the American Cancer Society (ACS), will run from Saturday, April 6 at 11:00am until 11:00am the following day at the CMC Track.
“The event has grown in just this past year,” says co-event chair Lauren Prince ’14 . “With 150 student participants last year, we raised about $34,000. This year, we have 250 participants signed up and have already raised $23,000.”
Claremont Colleges Against Cancer (CCAC) has organized the 5C Relay For Life (RLF) since 2009. To promote the event this year, CCAC painted Walker Wall, designed sweatshirts, and adopted a social media hashtag to spread the word – #Iam5cRelay. Festivities throughout the weekend include improvisational sketch comedy, a water balloon fight, film screenings, and more.
“Our goal is to bring people together to fight for something bigger than us,” says Prince. “We will have 5C students sharing their experiences as survivors and caregivers. It’s important for people to realize this isn’t just a disease for people in their 40’s or later – college students get cancer, too.”
Prince has a personal stake in RLF; a close family neighbor passed away from metastatic melanoma only three months after her initial diagnosis. Many of those walking have friends or family affected by breast cancer, leukemia, or other variants of the deadly disease.
Luminaria – white paper bags decorated in honor or in memory of a loved one with cancer – are set up around the track and spell out HOPE on the bleachers. “As you walk around and look at all the bags, you realize how prevalent this disease is,” says Prince. “You remember each bag not only represents one person, but all of the family and friends whose lives have been impacted.
“Relay For Life celebrates, remembers, and fights back against cancer for 24 hours because cancer never sleeps and neither will we,” Prince adds. “It’s a wonderful experience because you create valuable friendships, and you also are a support group. All you have to do is go to one Relay, and you’re hooked.”
Schedule of Events
- 11:00am: Opening Ceremonies (2 5C student cancer survivors speak)
- 1:30pm: Water Balloon fight
- 2:00pm: Without A Box
- 3:00pm: K-Pop performance and workshop
- 5:00pm: Miss Relay Pageant
- 6:00pm: Dodgeball Tournament ($1 entrance fee)
- 6:00pm: Hip Hop Workshop
- 7:00pm: Kosher Chords
- 7:45pm: Men’s Blue and White
- 9:00pm: Luminaria Ceremony
- 10:30pm: Ultimate Frisbee
- 11:00pm: Inland Emperors
- 12:00am: Super Smash Bros Tournament ($1 entrance fee)
- 1:00am: Zumba
- 1:30am: Energy Drink Pong Tournament ($1 entrance fee)
- 2:00am: Jurassic Park Screening
- 4:00am: Just Dance 3
- 6:00am: Sunrise Yoga
- 10:30am: Closing Ceremonies