Hofstra Relay for Life 2012

“I relay for my mom,” said Zach Dane, senior and event co-chair for Hofstra University’s Relay for Life 2012. Dane lost his mother to lung cancer that eventually spread when he was in seventh grade. “She is the reason that I am doing everything that I can to promote a cancer-free world. My friends know this and support me 110% before Relay and during the event itself.” Hofstra University held the event on the intramural fields last Saturday to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life at the school. Last year, Hofstra raised $90,000 for the American Cancer Society. This year’s fundraising goal was to surpass that and they did. The 2012 Relay for Life raised over $104,000. There are three main components to every Relay for Life event. Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back. The event starts off with the Survivors Lap, which is an inspirational time where survivors run around a track and everyone cheers to celebrate their victories over battling cancer. This means the most to the survivors, because it shows how more lives are being saved each year. The most memorable moment about this night is when it gets dark out and everyone remembers those who have passed from cancer in the Luminara Ceremony. Candles are lit inside bags filled with sand, and one having a name of a person touched by cancer. It is a very emotional ceremony and brought tears to my eyes. The fight back ceremony is where everyone makes a personal commitment to save lives by pledging to do something simple. The point is if you take action, you are personally taking steps to save lives. There were 104 teams and the top teams were, The Science Alliance raising 6,850 dollars, Entertainment Unlimited raising 5,629 dollars, and Katie’s friends raising 5,916 dollars. Relay for Life originated in Tacoma, Washington. In the mid-1980s, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma colorectal surgeon, wanted to increase the income of his local American Cancer Society office and to show support for all of his patients who had battled cancer. He decided to personally raise money for the fight by doing something he enjoyed, which was running marathons. In May 1985, Dr. Klatt spent 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. He ran for more than 83 miles. That first year, nearly 300 of Dr. Klatt’s friends, family, and patients watched as he ran and walked the course. Throughout the night, friends donated $25 to run or walk with Dr. Klatt for 30 minutes. His efforts raised $27,000 to fight cancer. After that other people wanted to join in on the fight. Before you knew it, it was a widespread marathon that reached every community, high school and college across the globe.