The post was written by Hatchet Staff Writer Drew Spence.
Two and a half months before the event is slated to take place, GW community members have raised nearly $14,000 for Relay for Life, a fundraiser for cancer research, event organizers reported.
Although the event has raised thousands of dollars thus far, participants are still nearly $36,000 away from meeting the amount raised from last year’s event.
“Last year we had excellent attendance and raised nearly $50,000,” said Brenda Tobin, Program Board’s co-chair of this year’s Relay for Life event – a 12-hour overnight walk-a-thon where participants raise money for the American Cancer Society. “With nearly $14,000 raised so far this year we are well on our way to maintaining our position as the largest philanthropic event on campus.”
Tobin has so far raised more than $800 for the event – which will be held April 10 – making her the largest individual fundraiser for the event, according to the Relay for Life Web site, which keeps a running tally of the funds raised for the event.
Teams have been formed by members of the GW community from many different backgrounds, including sports teams, sororities and groups of friends that have all chosen to rally behind the cause of the event.
“Cancer has affected almost everyone’s lives in some way and that’s why I think our team was so eager to participate,” said Jaime Albarelli, president of the GW Women’s Rugby Team. “We actually filled our first team and had to start another one.”
The Women’s Rugby team has raised more than $1,400 so far, making them the leaders in team fundraising for the event, according to the event’s Web site.
This is the first year the Rugby team has participated in Relay for Life, and Albarelli said the team was so eager to participate this year that they formed their spring competition schedule around the event, so that nothing would interfere with their availability to attend.
“Both of my grandmothers are survivors of breast cancer. I feel like raising money and walking for 12 hours is the least I can do for the ACS,” Albarelli said. “Their research helped develop the medicines that saved my grandmothers’ lives.”
Tobin said the event’s popularity stems from the broad appeal of the cause – raising money for cancer research.
“I think that it is great that Program Board has been putting on Relay for three years now,” Tobin said. “At a campus like GW everyone has their own passions and interests, but cancer is something that will directly touch one in five people in their lifetimes.”
This is Tobin’s second year chairing the Relay for Life and she said part of the reason she took on the task and keeps participating in the event is because of the personal loss Cancer has brought her.
“I began participating in Relay For Life because my Grandpa passed away from Melanoma when I was in high school. He was a real inspiration and someone I look up to. I became involved as a way to honor his legacy,” Tobin said. “I feel that as someone who has been impacted by cancer, I should do all that I can to raise awareness and make sure that no one has to suffer the kinds of loss that I have.”
Program Board Executive Chair Tiffany Meehan said that the organization’s entire executive board has formed a team and stressed the importance of showing their support for the Relay.
Yet, despite, the success of the event thus far, there still exist hopes for the Relay to expand its interest to other members of the GW Community.
“The number of teams is growing but the amount of people participating is just a small fraction of the student body,” Albarelli said. “Relay is a great way to get involved on campus and support a important cause. If everyone who had ever been impacted by cancer signed up for Relay, I can only imagine the amount of money we could raise.”
