By Beatrice Arner
STAFF WRITER
This year’s Relay for Life raised $83,000 for the American Cancer Society—$32,000 short of their $115,000 goal.
The Hofstra community came out to the intramural fields for the seventh annual Relay for Life to raise cancer awareness on Saturday, April 26. Contributions were made towards the foundation by the 67 participating teams and individuals on and off campus.
With rain and temperatures in the 30s and 40s, students, faculty and community members still walked the intramural fields showing their support for the cause.
“Every Relay is a success, but in my eyes, this one truly embodies what the event is about,” Kimberly Wilkens, a junior English major, said.
Wilkens has participated in seven Relay for Life events, her first during her freshman year of high school. This is also Wilkens’s second year as co-chair of Hofstra’s organizing committee.
“We not only raised $83,000 for cancer research, trial medications, programs, facilities and information deeming us the top collegiate event across all of Nassau and Suffolk County, but we also proved that despite the weather, nothing is going to stop us in this fight. That is what the event is all about: sacrificing and dedicating our time for those who fight each and every day,” Wilkens said.
There was never a dull moment during this year’s event. Performers such as Blue Lenex, Mike Tedesco, the Hofstra Dutchmen, and Banghara kept participants entertained throughout the 12 hours on the field.
Students who came out to participate, no matter if they had been to a Relay for Life event before or not, knew how powerful this event was. Victoria Dempsey, a freshman English major, felt that this event hit close to home for her.
“I have two close family friends that have battled breast cancer and both won. Although I’ve never been to Relay before, I wanted to participate because of them,” said Dempsey.
After this Relay for Life, it was clear that this was more than just a fundraiser. Logan Richmond, a junior music education major, shared its meaning for him.
“Relay is so important to me because it’s an opportunity for the entire community to come together and fight a very worthy cause,” Richmond said.
Though it is tough to put together such a large event, Wilkens always felt rewarded in the end.
“Putting together an event of this size is bound to bring challenges at times, but the support we have from all our dedicated committee members, the University and from participants always enables us to persevere,” Wilkens said.
