Harding University is hosting its annual Relay for Life event this Friday, Oct. 21, on the Front Lawn. Over 30 teams and 500 participants are currently registered. The event will begin at 5 p.m. and conclude the following morning at 5 a.m.
Throughout each year, Relay for Life is hosted by millions of people in dozens of different countries. The events are organized in partnership with the American Cancer Society and serve as one of the organization’s primary sources of fundraising.
Harding University’s Relay for Life raised more than $16,000 last year. This year, the event coordinators have already raised $3,000 before the event and hope to raise $20,000 total. All money goes towards the American Cancer Society for the purposes of research, grants, supporting caregiver and prevention programs, and other initiatives.
The event will feature dozens of booths that are designed by teams representing different social clubs and Harding-affiliated organizations. Students interested in participating in the event past curfew are required to sign up with a team and request that the team’s director put the student’s name on the Relay for Life list to be submitted to the Office of Student Life.
This year’s Relay for Life theme is “Passport to Hope.” Each team’s booth will model a specific country, such as Greece or Italy, in order to illustrate a globalized experience. Teams will also sell food, play games and host a variety of other activities. Music and larger games will be available outside of the team booths.
Relay for Life at Harding seeks to embody the American Cancer Society’s purpose of “Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back” — celebrating those either fighting or who have overcome cancer, remembering those who lost their lives to cancer, and fighting back against the disease through fundraising and promoting awareness.
The event will have participants walking around the premises at all times. Senior Student Director Drew Howerton says that this is in order to simulate the experiences of someone diagnosed with cancer.
“Cancer never sleeps,” Howerton said. “It never stops, and so the fight never stops. We keep walking, and we keep fighting. For people who have cancer, it never stops for them until it’s defeated.”
Speaking on the purpose of Relay for Life for Harding students, Howerton, who has lost three grandparents to cancer, said that the event is entertaining, but also purposeful.
“Everyone has been affected by cancer,” Howerton said. “This event is a good way to bring the whole student body together and be a part of something bigger than ourselves. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also for a really great cause.”
Faculty sponsor and assistant professor of education Lisa Bryant, who lost her mother to cancer and has been involved with Relay for Life for years, agrees with Howerton on the importance of the event.
“In my mind, you’re not just involved in something fun, but you’re also making a difference in the lives of people. Through Relay for Life, I believe I’ve seen God’s miracles,” Bryant said.
For more information on Relay for Life, visit the organization’s Facebook page (“Harding University Relay for Life”). For more information on the effects of cancer, as well as opportunities to support efforts combating the disease, go to the American Cancer Society’s website at cancer.org.
