The two top fund raisers for this weekend’s Relay for Life didn’t do it for the recognition.

Lauren Przyborowski, an Education sophomore, and Lacey Connelly, a Communication senior, said they were motivated by their personal experiences with family members who had cancer.

Przyborowski raised more than $5,800, and Connelly raised about $2,600. Their contributions reflected the success of the event: in its third year at NU, Relay for Life raised about $120,000 for cancer awareness and research. The national event is sponsored by the American Cancer Society. This year, about 600 students participated, according to Wenny Ng, the event’s co-chairwoman.

Participants split into teams of between seven and 13 people, and representatives from each team walked a nonstop relay around a track in Welsh-Ryan Arena for 12 hours between Friday night and Saturday morning. Team members who were not walking spent their time playing games, eating and sleeping in their campsites in the arena.

Cancer survivors led the relay’s first walk. Later, a candlelit ceremony outside the stadium sponsored by NU participants honored cancer victims and survivors. Speakers from the cancer society, relay races between the teams and student performances also kept participants busy.

Przyborowski participated in the event last year, but after her grandmother was diagnosed with lung cancer in the winter of 2004 and passed away this past summer, Przyborowski said she wanted to do more. This year, she was part of the relay’s publicity committee.

“This year I decided I really wanted to do something more involved in honor of my grandmother,” she said.

Connelly, a Communication senior, co-chaired this year’s Relay along with Ng, a McCormick sophomore. She was exposed to the effects of cancer after her grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer a few months before her freshman year at NU, she said. Connelly started participating in Relay for Life last year.

“Being involved gave me a sense that I was helping out in some way,” she said.

Connelly’s grandfather passed away in June 2004, and her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer last July, passed away in November.

“The hardest part would be seeing other survivors, and wondering why my mom couldn’t be one of them,” she said. “Knowing how hard it is to lose someone, I wanted to make sure there were more survivors.”

Connelly said she is excited about the future of the relay based on this year’s success and how the program has developed so quickly. This year, 66 teams competed — 17 more than last year. Overall, the NU teams raised nearly $30,000 more than the goal set for them by the the cancer society. Team members came from a variety of campus student groups.

“(Relay for Life) is a huge community event that brings various groups together, ranging from Greek life (to) athletes, dorms, religious groups and alumni,” Ng said.

Przyborowski said more people are becoming involved because of increased awareness about cancer.

“People are starting to realize how much (cancer is) impacting everyone,” she said. “They realize that something needs to be done, and they want to help.”

Next year, Przyborowski will be one of three leaders of the event. Connelly said they are all good choices for the position.

“‘They’re all very competent and very passionate for the cause,” Connelly said. “They’re not only well organized, but they know why they’re fighting for it.”

In addition to increasing participation next year, Przyborowski said she and the Relay organizers want to reach as many people as possible about Relay for Life and its cause.

For information on next year’s Relay for Life, e-mail [email protected].

The Daily’s Stanley Wong contributed to this story.

Reach Marc Zarefsky at [email protected].