For some, it was personal at 2009 Relay For Life

Each year, Muskingum College students organize a Relay For Life event in which students, professors and community members may participate. Relay For Life is a 24-hour walk designed to raise money for cancer research.



Each year, the American Cancer Society funds more than $100 million to cancer research. Although the money donated has helped tremendously in the past, a cure has not yet been found for the disease.



To get Muskingum students motivated to become involved in Relay For Life, Tuesday, November 18th was this year’s Muskingum College Relay For Life kickoff. The kickoff started at 5 p.m. and was held at the Chess Center. The event was designed to inform the student body of what Relay For Life was and to motivate them to participate in Muskingum’s Relay For Life.



To truly get a feel for how emotional and touching Relay For Life can be, members of Relay handed out glow sticks and luminaria bags and asked anyone who was affected by cancer to write the name of that person on the bag and place the glow stick inside. The lights were turned down and students placed their glowing bags on the steps of the stage and took a moment to reflect on those individuals who were still fighting or who had lost their battles to cancer. At a Relay event, this is known as the “Luminaria Ceremony of Hope.”



Since the Relay kickoff five months ago, Relay committee members worked hard to set up every detail for the event. This year’s theme was, “I do it all day. I do it all night. You want to do it with me?” Promoting the event was the biggest challenge, but with the help of their staff, much progress was made. Twenty-six teams signed up to participate on Saturday, April 3.



Muskingum Relay members wanted students to come to this year’s event, because the walk would bring people together and build relationships among those people whom cancer had affected in one way or another.



Muskingum College junior Erika Clegg was this year’s co-chair on the committee.



“At the Activities Fair, there were over 90 students who signed up to be part of Relay this year,” said Clegg.



Everyone was encouraged to “Relay” for cancer, but for some people, it meant so much more. To them, it was personal.



“Since my mom died of cancer, I know I feel more connected to Relay For Life,” said sophomore Michael Halko. “I guess the only thing that has changed is that I feel more ‘obligated’ to help out so that others don’t have to lose someone firsthand like I did.”



First-year Mallorie Wagner participated in Relay For Life this spring for the first time.



“I am doing Relay for my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Guskin, who fought for almost eight years and lost her life this month to it.”