PEA Revels, Rallies at Annual Relay For Life

On Saturday, Apr. 11, Exeter hosted yet another successful Relay For Life, raising over $5,400 with contributions from students, faculty, employees and families. The only campus-wide event that is sponsored by ESSO and Student Activities, Relay For Life anually serves as a highly anticipated event among members of the Academy community.

Relay For Life is a worldwide event that includes a fundraising walk, as well as activities that entertain the individuals attending the event and raise awareness for cancer. Along with these activities, the Luminaria service, a part of the event during which participants light candles in a white paper bag that contains a message in honor of those who were affected by cancer.

The first Relay For Life began in 1985, when surgeon Dr. Gordy Latt hosted a fundraising walk around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, the Relay has developed from a one man’s commitment to a worldwide effort to spread the awareness of cancer. In 1998, the Academy started the event in honor of Anja Greer, a former Chair of the Mathematics Department who passed away because of cancer.

The Relay For Life Committee works closely with the American Cancer Society and ESSO staff, planning well in advance. Relay For Life attempts to bring the Exeter community together and, in doing so, requires a great deal of organization from both students and faculty. As with any other year, this year’s event did not dissapoint.

“Relay For Life was amazing. I had the chance to really delve deep into my family’s history with cancer and be grateful for the survivors and hopeful for the ones that are still battling.”

“I think this year’s event was a tremendous success. This shows through the number of booths, the amount of student and employee participation, the amount of money raised and the lack of any incidences,” ESSO Coordinator Elizabeth Reyes said. “Students and community children all seemed to have a great time as demonstrated by the noise level and amount of tickets that were sold. Where else could you get away with throwing a pie in Doc J’s face?”

This year’s student leaders of the Relay For Life committee were senior Will Li and upper Ashley Baxter. Li and Baxter managed to run a committee and plan the event, as well as organize 45 booths.

Both committee heads attributed the event’s success to their teamwork. “I think Ashley and I were a really strong team. We communicated well and trusted one another which were both key in organizing an event of this size” Li said.

Besides teamwork, the duo’s hard work and dillegence also contributed to their success. These attributes did not go unnoticed by their fellow committee members. “Ashley and Will were great leaders and stayed organized every meeting,” prep Alyssa Kuwana said.

Reyes agreed, complimenting Li and Baxter’s ability to gather assistance from the community. “They did a fantastic job forming teams and keeping the committees on task. They recruited plenty of teams, worked with the Luminaria team (Drew Goydan, Cornelia Smith and Audrey DeGuerrera) and ensured there were enough students to help with set-up and clean-up,” she said. “I think this year’s event was a tremendous success. This shows through the number of booths, the amount of student and employee participation, the amount of money raised and the lack of any incidences.”

Besides involving many members of the community, this year, Baxter and Li, in an effort to spread awareness about the event, collaborated in a project called “Why I Relay.” The project was in the form of a video that consisted of various members of our community sharing reasons why they relay and what Relay For Life means to them. Exonians recognized the project as a successful way to unify the community prior to the event as well as a way to show many Exonians that there are other members of their community who share common experiences as they do.

“Ashley and I chose ‘Why I Relay’ because we wanted to humanize cancer, to put a face to a disease that can remain hidden behind hospital walls,” Li said.

One of the most anticipated events of the evening was the Luminaria ceremony. The ceremony is a long-lasting tradition, in which people share their stories and experiences regarding cancer while attendees listen. This year, audience members cracked glow sticks to recognize community members who have dealt with or are dealing with cancer. “My favorite part was the Luminaria service. It brings awareness and recognition to the challenges that people face,” prep Lara Galligani said.

Many believe the Luminaria service is the most memorable segment of the entire event,  since it allows people to both offer and receive support. “It always comes as a shock to me as to how prevalent cancer is in our society, especially here in our Exeter bubble,” lower Hillary Aristotle said. “When they asked us to break the glow sticks for those fighting for a cure, everything felt real. In a good way.​”

Others shared similar sentiments. “Relay For Life was amazing. I had the chance to really delve deep into my family’s history with cancer and be grateful for the survivors and hopeful for the ones that are still battling,” lower Kelvin Green said. “The vigil really comforted me by letting me know that I’m not the only one going down this road.”

But the event’s success would not have been possible without the organizers who dedicated their time and energy towards a powerful Relay For Life. Upper Maddie Toole, who headed the publicity portion of the Relay For Life Committee alongside uppers Lucy Knox and Thomas Chou, commented on the importance of the teamwork of everyone involved in coordinating the event. “It was great to see the community come together to plan such an incredible event,” she said. “People don’t know how many students and faculty members put so much time and thought into this event. So many different people joined to make relay happen.”

Even though most attendees enjoyed this year’s Relay For Life, some members of the community saw room for improvement.

Prep Charlotte Polk suggested that there be a way to donate money even if you cannot make it to the event. “I think the carnival-style format is a really effective way for people to have fun for a cause, but I feel like there should also be a way to donate if you are not going to be able to attend, but you still want to support the cause,” she said.

Nevertheless, Relay For Life was effective in raising awareness for an important cause and letting students and faculty have a good time. “This event touches so many people and is great because it is both fun and thoughtful,” Toole said. “It is a day to come together to think about and support all those who have fought or are still fighting.”