PEA Relay For Life
At 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, students rushed into the hockey rink to attend Exeter’s Relay for Life, the annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Students purchased tickets to spend at various student-organized booths for food and activities, ranging from pancakes and boba tea to gladiator fighting and face painting.
The event ran for three hours. Clubs, sports teams and dorms set up booths filled with a variety of activities and food around the rink. Lower Bianca Lee, who helped run Dunbar’s Dun-Bubble-Tea Bar booth, believed that the cause deserved everyone’s efforts. “We had to cook [the tapioca balls], which took a while, but it was worth it [because] it’s for the good cause of cancer research,” she said.
Prep Joe Laufer, who was involved with Kirtland Society, a Latin club on campus, said that he came because he wanted the gladiator booth to be “as successful as possible.” Other booths included snow cones from Soule Hall, laps around the rink in heels courtesy of Hoyt Hall, a photobooth by PEAN and the “pie-ing” booth by the boys’ and girls’ squash team, which was especially popular. By the end of the night, each booth collected dozens of tickets, raising a considerable amount of money towards the cause.
Each student had their own reason to Relay. Several members of the community have been affected by cancer.
“We are really trying to raise as much money as we can for the American Cancer Society. If we are able to raise money and everyone is having fun while doing it, it will be a success.”
Sofina Tillman, a prep at the Wheelwright palm reading booth, said that she “came to Relay for Life because my grandfather died of cancer.” Since he lived in a developing country at the time, it was hard for doctors to recognize the signs of the disease. Tillman expressed that she hopes no one will have to go through what her grandfather experienced and advocates for finding the cure by participating events like Relay for Life.
Amelia Lee, an upper involved in organizing the event, shared similar sentiments. “Cancer has been very close to my heart and has affected several members of my family,” she said. “Assisting in the organizing and planning of the event was a way I could use what I know to contribute to the cause.”
Upper Lauren Leatham, one of the two main organizers of the event, felt similarly. “I have some family members and friends who have been affected by cancer,” she said. “I am glad that I can have an opportunity to try and help everyone who’s been affected.”
French Instructor Katherine Fair shared her own personal connection to Relay as well. “It brings the entire community together around an issue that touches virtually all of us,” she said. “Two members of my family have had the disease, in addition to some close friends, so fundraising for cancer research is important to me.”
Amidst the excitement of the activities, the Luminaria ceremony began halfway through the event. The rink was illuminated with golden string lights and candles as survivors and those affected by cancer shared their music and stories in the center of the rink. Glowsticks crackled one by one as names reverberated through the silence.
“This year, our theme was bringing attention to the unheard voices of our community that have been affected by cancer,” Leatham said. Many attendees shed tears as they heard the powerful stories and memories.
After the performances concluded, students from the bleachers walked around the rink in a moment of silence. The glow sticks were the only forms of light as the rink turned dark, allowing Exonians to truly concentrate on fond memories of those affected by cancer.
Lower Bianca Lee said that the ceremony was effective in proving the ubiquity of the disease. “As we just saw, it’s such a prevalent cause of death in the world and it affects anyone and everyone,” she said.
Prep Bizzie Lynch agreed. “It was amazing how they would say things like great aunt and uncle and people would snap their glow sticks for someone who had cancer. I thought it was interesting to see how it directly affects the entire community,” Lynch said.
Through the entertainment and delicious food served at the booths, Relay for Life aimed to educate other students about the impact of cancer on this world and the added importance of finding a cure.
“We really want everyone to have a fun time at the event, and we also want everyone to realize the amazing contribution they are making to help fight cancer,” Leatham said before the Relay. “We are really trying to raise as much money as we can for the American Cancer Society. If we are able to raise money and everyone is having fun while doing it, it will be a success.”