Students Participate in Relay for Life

By ETHAN DING and LILIA FECTEAU

Students make bracelets at a Relay for Life booth.

On Saturday, May 16, the Academy hosted Relay for Life, an annual fundraiser event dedicated to raising awareness for cancer research and money for the American Cancer Society. Various clubs, dorms, and sports teams created booths and games which students could take part in for a certain number of tickets. The event also included a notable “Luminaria,” a moment of solace honouring victims of cancer.

In addition to being a significant event with a noble cause, Relay for Life was also a night of snacks, art, and overall enjoyment. Some of the most popular attractions of the event included a “high-heels-race” by Hoyt Hall, a gladiatorial combat arena by the Kirtland Society, a D Squared Java gift card Kahoot Championship by the International Student Alliance, and a “jail” that students could imprison their friends in. Altogether, the different attractions at Relay for Life raised more than $5,600 for cancer research.

The event was overwhelmingly student-run and planned, from the overall organization of the event to the specific activities and stands. When planning the event, the organizers worked diligently to make sure that every detail was up to the mark. For upper Aavik Wadivkar, who ran a T-Shirt screen printing event with WPEA, much effort was put into the planning. “For us, the planning process started a couple of weeks before the event,” Wadivkar said. “For our stand, we had to make the screens ourselves, order the posters, and order WPEA stickers.”

Senior Gwen Serrano commented on the preparation of the musicians during the event. “I really appreciate the dedication of the [Exeter Association of Rock] performers,” Serrano said. “They had to set up, get all the equipment together, and then organize all the performers and the performance schedule. They had to start setting up a long time before the event started, and they performed throughout the entire night. It was really wonderful to hear the product of all their hard work.”

The planning process for this year’s Relay for Life involved a dedicated committee that consisted of senior Zach Quitkin, upper Avery Selig, upper Ellie Ana Sperantsas, senior Nina Kellogg, upper Rex Bedwick, upper Angel Guo, upper Nikki Basur, and upper Ugo Barrah.

“We usually met every other week during lunch to discuss and plan various aspects of the event,” Basur said. “Each member had a specific role, such as logistics, fundraising, Luminaria, and entertainment. As one of the people in charge of Public Relations, my role was to promote the event and create awareness within the community. This involved designing flyers and posters, managing social media accounts, and decorating the venue.”

“I think we’ve been doing it for so long that the student organizers follow a system of what we had in the past,” Day Student Coordinator and Director of Student Learning Elizabeth Reyes said. “The students are the ones coming up with the theme, Luminaria is left up to them, and even the booths. This year we had some new creative booths that we hadn’t had in the past. Last year, Ms. Lembo, Ms. Costello and I had to do a lot of work. This year, however, the students took to their jobs well, and they ran with it.”

Relay for Life attendees only had good things to say about their experiences at the event. Senior Gbemiga Salu recounted his favourite booth. “The cross-country team had a crêpe stand, and they were excellent,” Salu said. “I could see how they brought passion and excitement to the crêpe-making, and I was really glad that they were there.”

“My favourite part of Relay for Life was probably the waffle-making stand that Dunbar did,” lower Aymeric Dauge-Roth said. “In general, many of my friends were running the stands, and the atmosphere was very lively. Everything, the booths, the people, and especially the music contributed to a great environment.”

“I felt that all of the booths were really creative, and I had a lot of fun,” lower Davido Zhang said. “An important factor in that is how the tickets are so cheap. With each ticket being fifty cents, it’s not as if people are feeling any financial burden. Also, a lot of people running the stands were giving people tickets to spend if they didn’t have any, which meant that everyone was able to participate.”

Senior Alexa Wingate, a co-head of Chess Club, ran a stand and talked about her experience as a facilitator. “At Relay for Life, we were trying to create an attraction with an aspect of our club, so we decided to give people the opportunity to challenge our players over the board. Everyone that came by had a good time, and I loved how we were raising money for a great cause while having a great time playing chess.”

Senior Holden Quaresma, a co-head of Kirtland Society, was present at the event, armed with gladius and scutum, available to be challenged in gladiatorial combat. “Kirtland has done it every year, so people expected us to be there,” Quaresma said. “This year, we were considering not participating, but members of the club urged us against it. I was really happy that we were able to put it together, even if it was last minute. I was glad that people were really enjoying it, and it was great to help out in raising money.”

During Luminaria, Kellogg passionately delivered a poetry reading, focusing on the impact that a close friend or family member having cancer has on someone. “Relay For Life is important to me because it spreads awareness to the ‘cancer community’ not only just at Exeter but beyond. It’s a night each spring where we get to pick our heads up from our own lives and think big picture about our loved ones and those we know who are affected. It’s also been especially important to me these past two years since my own father was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma,” Kellogg said. “My goal was to make a meaningful event where people were having fun but also remembering the importance of why we were there. The event absolutely lived up to my expectations; you could really feel the fun atmosphere in the rink as well as the seriousness during Luminaria.”

For everyone involved in the planning and execution of Relay for Life this year, the event was a definite success, having accomplished the planning committee’s goals of raising a significant sum of money and creating an enjoyable night for the Academy community. “By coming together and raising awareness for cancer research, we were able to create a positive impact in our community and demonstrate the power of collective action,” Basur said.

“Relay for Life is very important. It’s certainly personal for a lot of people, and it is to me as well.” Quaresma said. “First of all, it promotes cancer awareness, raises money for the fight against cancer, and brings attention to people affected by cancer, but it is also a time when the community gets together and enjoys a night of fun. It’s really a win from every perspective.”