Worcester, MA’s Clark University to Hold Fifth Annual Relay for Life Event, April 19-20

Clark University will partner with the American Cancer Society to host its 5^th annual Relay for Life event from 6 p.m. on Friday, April 19, to 10 a.m. on Sat., April 20. This year’s event will be held in the Kneller Athletic Center, Downing Street, Worcester.   This year, the organizers of Clark’s Relay for Life hope to register 30 teams to reach their fundraising goal of $30,000. Past Relay events have raised a total of over $100,000; the event typically brings close to 300 participants to campus each year.

ORDER OF EVENTS

*   The Survivor Reception and Opening Ceremonies officially start the Relay at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 19.  Clark students/event Tri-Chairs Rose Kamsler, Rachel Monge and Breeann Redman will address the participants.

*   The Survivor Lap ~ survivors and their caregivers will lead the walkers around a designated track.

*   The Luminaria Ceremony follows at 9 p.m. Family, friends, Clark and Worcester community members can remember those who have lost their lives to cancer and honor survivors and those currently fighting the disease. White paper bags will line the paths; each bag will bear the name of a loved one, and remind participants of the reasons to Relay.  Luminaria may be purchased for $5 prior to, or at the event. Brianna Mirabile and Matthew Grossman will be speaking about their personal losses due to cancer.

*   The Fight Back Ceremony ~ Emily Newton will speak at this ceremony at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 20.

*   The Closing Ceremony will take place from 9-10 a.m.

*   Music, food, movies and Guitar Hero will be provided; student groups will perform throughout the night.

 Clark senior Ellen Davis, a member of the Relay committee e-board, told Clark University’s student newspaper that “…everyone who comes to relay has a reason for being there…it is a really nice bonding experience.”

FUNDRAISING

To help meet fundraising goals and raise awareness of the event on campus, the organizers held a “Boobie Toss” Tournament (involves tossing a ball into different sized bras) in October.  They are selling “Save the Cougars” or “Can You Last All Night?” Tshirts in the Higgins University Center and at Clark University sporting events for $8 throughout the rest of the year.  They are also arranging distribution of Glen Cocoa Grams (chocolate deliveries accompanied by a sassy or sweet quote).  To find out more about these fundraisers, contact Rose Kamsler at rkamsler(at) clarku.edu.

The group has also created videos for the event.  “Why We Relay” features three Clark University students who are also cancer survivors; another is themed “What Makes You Smile.”

Relay for Life 2010 ~ photo courtesy of facebook.com/groups/25906640674/?fref=ts

REGISTRATION

Registration for Relay is required.  It currently costs $5; the price of participation increases to $10 and then $15 mid-April.  Teammates do not have to register at the same time.  The public is welcome to participate in the event. To register, or for more information, visit relayforlife.org, email eldavis (at) clarku.edu, or visit the Clark University Relay for Life Facebook page.

HISTORY

Relay started in Tacoma, Washington in 1985, and has since spread to more than 5,200 communities in 21 countries, and has raised over $5 billion. It is the largest cancer fundraiser in the world.

Founded in 1887 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Clark University is a small, liberal arts-based research university addressing social and human imperatives on a global scale. Nationally renowned as a college that changes lives, Clark is emerging as a transformative force in higher education today. LEEP (Liberal Education and Effective Practice) is Clark’s pioneering model of education that combines a robust liberal arts curriculum with life-changing world and workplace experiences. Clark’s faculty and students work across boundaries to develop solutions to contemporary challenges in the areas of psychology, geography, management, urban education, Holocaust and genocide studies, environmental studies, and international development and social change. The Clark educational experience embodies the University’s motto: Challenge convention. Change our world.

www.clarku.edu