Hartford, Conn. - The 4th Annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Trinity College will take place on Sat., April 25 through Sun., April 26 at Jessee/Miller Field. Students, faculty, staff, friends and family will gather at the field for this 18-hour event to raise money to fight cancer. People form teams of 8-15 members and take turns walking around the track throughout the event. Teams raise money prior to and during Relay to help in the fight against cancer. Relay teams come from various clubs, Greek organizations, athletic teams, religious groups, residence halls, and groups of friends. Each team has a campsite that serves as a home base during the event, and is encouraged to decorate their site and bring everything they will need throughout the event. For the complete entertainment schedule, click here: /NR/rdonlyres/333CF261-9288-47FE-BBA6-EDA433C769CE/0/RelaySchedule09.doc.
The event starts with an opening ceremony on Saturday, April 25 at 6 p.m. President James F. Jones, Jr. will address the Relayers, as will Cindy Butos, cancer survivor and English professor. Professor Butos will be speaking about her experience as a survivor in the Trinity Community. Music professor Eric Galm and his Samba Ensemble will officially kick off the event by leading a group of cancer survivors and caregivers around the track for the first lap, who are then joined by the rest of the participants. Shortly after the lap survivors and caregivers will be honored with a dinner reception in Hamlin Hall.
When night falls, there will be a special Luminaria Ceremony of Hope. Luminaria bags may be purchased for $5 each in honor or in memory of loved ones who have or have had cancer. Each bag has a candle inside that is lit during the ceremony and stays lit for walkers throughout the night. This year’s ceremony will feature cancer survivor Dean Ann Reuman, and all those lost to cancer will be remembered in a reflection on the experiences of survivors with a slideshow complete with names, pictures, and messages to loved ones.
Throughout the event there will be live entertainment, games, activities, and food. There will be a closing ceremony at noon on Sunday during which the event fundraising total will be announced as well as the top fundraising teams and individuals and other award winners.
A group of dedicated students make up the event planning committee, and they have been hard at work since September. This year the committee has made a yearlong effort to keep Relay in everyone’s mind, hosting events throughout the school year. They hosted a team rally in November, a survivor social in December and a daylong kickoff at the beginning of Spring semester. During the kickoff, committee members tabled in Mather Hall, helped people register for the event, held a common hour team planning luncheon and hosted a mini luminaria ceremony in the evening. Committee members and team captains painted the campus purple, the official color of Relay, with posters, stickers and bows.
Background:
Relay For Life, in its fourth year at the College, has grown since its inaugural ceremony at Trinity in 2006. Relay has registered 432 participants and 67 teams and counting. Last year, Trinity raised over $50,000 for the American Cancer Society at the Relay for Life which was held in the memory of beloved professor, Lisa Nestor. The event, which is the largest fundraiser in the history of the College, attracted over 600 participants last year. In 2006, Trinity's Relay for Life won the nationwide Top Five Youth-Per-Capita Event Award from the American Cancer Society. Trinity has raised over $200,000 for the American Cancer Society in the three years of its existence.
To make a donation or for more information visit www.relayforlife.org/trinityct or stop by the event this weekend.
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