OSU holds Relay for Life event Friday

About 3,400 cases of cancer are diagnosed in America each day, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Oklahoma State’s Relay for Life is inviting you to help fight back again the disease by joining in a fundraiser walk starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 12, in the Student Union.

The objectives for the relay are to raise money for cancer research and cancer patients, to spread cancer awareness and to unite a community in the fight against cancer, remembering those lost, and celebrating the survivors, according to the American Cancer Society website. The walk involves teams of people who will camp out around a “track,” in this case the Student Union atrium, while members of each team raise money by taking turns walking around it.

“Most of the money raised during Relay for Life is raised individually or by teams,” said Jessica McCall, OSU Relay for Life events chair. “Participants have been sending emails and letters to friends and families in the weeks leading up to the event, asking for donations or sponsorships for their team, based on the number of laps they walk in the union atrium that night.”

Participants will also have the chance to celebrate while walking their laps. “This year we are marking the American Cancer Society’s 100^th birthday with cake and a birthday party celebration,” said McCall. “We will have a DJ playing music throughout the night as well as student entertainment and a performance from the OSU Hip Hop Crew.”

Other activities Friday night will include live Mario Cart tournaments, dodge ball, sand volleyball, face painting, giant twister, a scavenger hunt and human foosball. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of each event.

Several sponsors will provide food for participants throughout the night. They include Best Buy, the Territory and Rhinestone Cowgirl have donated prizes for the event. Papa Johns, Old School Bagel, Starbucks, Jack in the Box, Fuzzy’s, Jimmy Johns, Spudnut, Burger King, El Vaquero, McDonalds, McAlisters, El Tapatio and Wal-Mart.

Various fundraisers are also held during the year at Marble Slab, Rib Crib and Orange Leaf with a portion of sales going directly to the American Cancer Society. Individual teams and the Relay for Life committee also raise money with t-shirt sales.

Greek houses and student organization teams compete for points by hosting their own fundraisers such as catered lunches on campus or car washes. Teams can earn points the night of the event by decorating their “camp sites” and by ensuring all team members participate in activities all night long. The team with the most points or the most money raised receives the honor of Top Team, announced at the end of the event.

“So far this year, we have 312 participants signed up online participating in the Relay events. We hope to see over 750 students attend the event and check out the fun and excitement,” said McCall. It isn’t too late to create a team for the April 12 event. Sign up at relayforlife.org/okstateok and follow Relay on Twitter @RelayForLifeOSU.

Relay for Life events have raised over $3 billion to date.