Relay for Life Raises Over $118,000

Peterson Center was the most popular spot on the Providence College campus on March 26. Nearly one quarter of the Providence College student body gathered in the gym for the College's annual Relay for Life. From 6:00 p.m. on Friday to 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 27, 891 students took part in the relay. Teams of students took turns walking around the track in the gym for 12 hours to raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society. By the end of the night all the PC participants raised $117,218, more than any other college in Rhode Island. As a result of continued online fundraising, PC's Relay for Life had raised over $118,000 by Wednesday, April 1.

"Last year we raised around $63,000 and so our goal this year was to get to $80,000, and we surpassed that on bank night," said Ari Rilovich '11, co-chair of the event. "But we kept that a secret. And then the day of Relay, the morning of, we had hit $100,000 and so we kept that a secret as well. And that by the last few moments, the end of the night we had hit $117,000."

Rilovich worked with her co-chair, Jess Harrison '10, to coordinate every aspect of the event. They began the serious planning of the event in September. The official kickoff was two months ago.

This year they asked each participant to raise at least $100.

"It's really simple to do that," said Rilovich. "I mean just ask a few family friends; Will you donate $20 here, $5 there, $10 there."

According to Harrison, the majority of the participants were able to raise it. She thinks that the requirement led to the event's success.

"It helped because it's a team event, so if everybody on the team contributes, it helps-the final number goes up significantly," said Harrison.

Also contributing to the record-breaking figure, were 20 additional teams. Harrison and Rilovich attribute the jump in the number of teams to the cohesive and effective nature of the committee.

"We had a kick-butt committee this year…they were absolutely fantastic," said Rilovich. "They did everything we asked of them and more, and they promoted Relay and got it around campus like no other. . .they got around to every single aspect of our campus to make sure that everybody knew what it was, what they were doing, and participating in it. It absolutely turned it a huge event. As much as it was us, it was our committee who were fantastic."

On the night of the event, teams arrived before the kick off. The event lasted 12 hours, so teams arrived with food, blankets, and supplies to set up "camps." Many teams also coordinated and created team outfits and t-shirts.

"For the first lap, [there is] always the survivor lap, and then we do a caregiver lap where the caregivers walk with them, and afterwards we ask everyone to get on the track and walk a lap as a team, as a true event," said Rilovich. "And to me to see everyone together walking around the track, and supporting this event that we worked so hard [to organize]…Honestly I can say that it brought tears to my eyes. And it wasn't even that we walked the first lap together, it was the fact that everybody walked the first half an hour to 45 minutes together and didn't get off the track. People were just so excited to be there."

The excitement continued into all hours of the night. Around every 15 minutes an event or activity was scheduled to entertain participants.

"It kept people entertained," said Rilovich.

There was a stage in the middle of the track were the entertainment took place. There were a cappella groups and a Zumba class. This year for the first time, professional hairdressers also cut participants' hair to donate to Locks for Love. According to Rilovich, the Relay committee intitally sent out an e-mail to all the students involved asking if they would be willing to donate their hair to Locks of Love. They had only received four responses as of March 27. However, at Relay, 20 students shed their locks for the charity.

Brittney Sutton '11 spontaneously decided to cut her hair at Relay.

"I cut all my hair off," said Sutton moments after the hairdresser finished. "I just did it for Locks of Love. It's been long forever, but I just cut it off."

Some of the original events which have been a part of Relay at PC since its start six years ago came at the suggestion of Stephanie Saint, American Cancer Society representative.

Some of Saint's suggestions included the "jail" scenario. On the night of Relay students could pay to have a friend "arrested." The friend would stay in jail until they were able to raise an amount of money equal to that of the amount that sent them to jail. According to Rilovich, that activity raised thousands of dollars.

People could also pay $5 to buy a lap-tracking necklace.

Members of the community, friends, and family attended as well. Carol Wagner, a cancer survivor and the mother of a PC student, was asked to walk the survivor lap which started the night's events. Wagner's husband also recently fought cancer and is 10 weeks in remission.

"I think [the turnout] is fabulous." said Wagner. "Just fabulous. I think they did such a great job. It's great."

Nick Mikula '11 was on a Team with six to eight members from the PC Sailing Team.

"It's a great cause," said Mikula. "It's a fun night. As an organization on campus we want to be a part of something like this. Not so much to get ourselves out there but because everyone else is out here. It's a great time."

"My grandfather died of cancer and my best friend's mother is in remission of ovarian cancer," said Colleen Thompson '12 . "It's a really big important issue and I really believe in it."

"My grandma was just recently diagnosed with colon cancer and she's a breast cancer survivor so I just really wanted to reach out and do something against cancer in her honor," said Sarah McPartlon '12. "I've been raising money. I was the second lead raiser in my team, and I've just been sending out e-mails, and I'm also part of the committee."