By ALEX MASS
Every spring, Ramapo holds their annual Relay for Life event on campus to help raise money for those that have been affected by cancer. Both the Relay for Life committee and the Colleges against Cancer held a Kick Off fundraiser in preparation for the event that is to come. The organization was able to go beyond their fundraising goal for the night by hosting this event.
The semi-formal kick off party had many opportunities for those in attendance to donate as well as to participate in a variety of activities while enjoying both food and music. The purpose of this event was to bring more awareness to the Relay for Life cause and all the strides that are already being made prior to the main campus event. All proceeds that were made by the end of the night went to the American Cancer society.
Daniella Luciano, member of the Relay for Life committee was not as impressed with the outcome but was pleased with what was raised overall for the night.
“Unfortunately, our attendance wasn’t up to our expectation. At our last event, Pink Tie Formal, we had double the people. However, at Kick-Off, we made more than half of our profits from Pink Tie, so it was a success. Relay is soon approaching, and after kick off, we seem to be in great shape. I expect an awesome turnout, and for us or reach, or exceed our goal of 65,000,” said Luciano after the event.
The event had multiple raffles that participants could donate to win as well as making donations if someone wanted to request a specific song by the DJ. The semi-formal attire allowed people to take nice pictures on their “red carpet” with multiple props for a cute memory of the night. This goes along with the theme that Relay for Life has this year, which is movies.
“The event was so interactive. At one point there were extra raffle tickets depending on how long you danced for. It got the crowd involved and it was a well run and fun event,” said junior Ramapo student Victoria Canavan.
The American Cancer Society supports these Relay for Life fundraisers all over the country every year to help make a difference when it comes to money for research.
According to the American Cancer Society, “Research is at the heart of our mission. For more than 65 years, the American Cancer Society has been finding answers that save lives – from changes in lifestyle to new approaches in therapies to improving cancer patients’ quality-of-life. In fact, no single nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization in the US has invested more to find the causes and cures of cancer.”
Greek life joining the fight
Cosponsoring the event along with the Relay for life committee and Colleges against Cancer was Greek organization, Delta Phi Epsilon. This particular event was cause close to their hearts, which is why they decided to co sponsor the event. The sisters set up a table to sell bracelets in honor of their sorority sister who recently passed away from Ewing Sarcoma. The Delta Phi Epsilon Relay team currently has $1,205 raised is hoping to reach their goal of $2,000.
The Relay for Life Event itself will take place on Friday April 1-2 at 6:00 PM. So far, there are currently 27 teams and 348 participants who have come together to already raise $12,920.
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