For Relay for Life Chairwoman Jessica Golbus, this year’s event for the American Cancer Society took on personal significance when her uncle was diagnosed with malignant pancreatic cancer two months ago. Patients in his stage of the disease have a 1 percent chance of living five years after the diagnosis.
“We’ve all been touched by cancer in some way but it’s the importance of acting before you realize,” the Weinberg senior said. “This year, I’ve really been touched by it on a level that I wasn’t before.”
The event will have raised about $150,000 once all money is collected, organizers said. More than 680 students participated in 74 teams. This year’s teams raised funds in interesting and unexpected ways; one group, IntensiTEAM, printed a “Men of Northwestern” calendar that featured club sports teams, fraternities and a cappella groups.
The Northwestern Men’s Basketball Team was the highest group fundraiser, and the law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP was the largest single donor, Golbus said. The money raised is a testament to “how much an inspired and dedicated group of students can achieve,” she said.
Graffiti Dancers, Purple Haze, BLAST, Phi Beta Sigma and VITAL performed during the 12-hour event, which included activities such as a Guitar Hero tournament and water pong.
The change of venue from Welsh-Ryan Arena to the Sports Pavilion and Aquatic Center helped re-energize the event, Golbus said.
“We’ve tried a lot of new things in terms of the entertainment, the food, the venue – the feedback has been immensely positive,” Golbus said. “Participants were able to walk and watch the sun set on Lake Michigan and then rise again in the morning, which was definitely a very memorable and moving experience.”
The venue change gave students room to unwind during the event, said Maria Lei, Relay for Life entertainment chairwoman and incoming event chairwoman.
“It was a bigger space and people had more space to play basketball and throw frisbees around,” the Weinberg sophomore said.
This year’s Relay put a greater emphasis on cancer advocacy to improve students’ connection to the cause, Golbus said.
“The whole experience, not just the event itself, has been especially memorable this year because we’ve expanded the scope of our event,” she said.
Earlier this month, Relay for Life brought in Steven Rosen, the director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, to debunk cancer myths and share tips on how to stay healthy to prevent cancer. Golbus called this year’s Relay “a more inclusive event, not just about the fundraising but also about the education.”
“We’ve really increased the role we’ve played on campus to educate people,” she said.
Lei said she plans to improve the image of Relay for Life on campus next year.
“Relay for Life could have been a lot better publicized than it was,” she said. “A lot of people who stopped by hadn’t even heard of it. I definitely think that publicity could be improved, so I think that will help.”
The event was an opportunity for students to focus their energy on a single cause, McCormick junior Dan Arnold said.
“It was one of the few chances I’ve had at NU where we can all come together for a common cause and do some good,” he said.
Despite the good work of his fellow relay participants, Arnold said he wished there were more fundraising initiatives during the event itself.
“We were all there for 12 hours
