The Weekly Ringer

The University of Mary Washington Student Newspaper

Carving For A Cure Takes a Stab at Fighting Caner

3 min read

By HAVEN HEADLEY

Relay For Life is a cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society that is organized by volunteers and held every year to raise money for cancer research and cancer patients. The event also helps spread cancer awareness, celebrate the lives of survivors, remembers those who lost their lives to cancer and unites the community to fight cancer.

The Relay For Life Committee has put forth much effort to plan this and many more events to come. The University of Mary Washington community should take pride in every Relay For Life event available, starting with this year’s Kickoff and Carving For A Cure.

This is the school’s opportunity to stick together and fight the enemy that is cancer. If students fully participate in the event, there will be greater school spirit and enthusiasm for future Relay events to come, as well as the possibility for more participation in community service activities as a whole. Participation in Kickoff is the first step to the continued success of Relay For Life

Relay’s Kickoff event, Carving For A Cure, will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 26. Kickoff, held on Ball Circle, is the event that truly starts Relay For Life here at UMW. There will be a mock campsite for students to see what Relay looks and feels like. At Relay, teams camp out for the overnight event and take turns walking around a track to help fundraise.

There are food, games and entertainment, as well. Also, there will be computers set-up for registration with the Relay Committee helping sign students up.

Carving For A Cure is an event where students are able to carve pumpkins for $1, plus donations. There will be supplies to carve and paint pumpkins for the Halloween season.

These combined events are a great way of staying in touch with the UMW community and support a great cause at the same time. Friends are able to join together to participate in Relay, roommates are able to carve pumpkins to decorate their rooms or apartments and, even better, this is an amazing and worthwhile opportunity to help in finding a cure for cancer!

I Relay to support those currently suffering from cancer and those that have suffered and lost their battle. By donating and participating in these UMW Relay For Life events, this goal of change is truly being accomplished.

The money can go towards many different areas of the cancer spectrum. It can be used for cancer research in the hopes of finding a cure or to help those that have cancer feel better about themselves by providing them with wigs and beauty kits. Donations can also be used to provide care for those sick from cancer. Last year UMW raised $48,000.

Signing-up for UMW Relay For Life will change your life and the lives of others. It is such a rewarding experience to know you improved someone’s life that couldn’t have kept pushing on without your help.

So, why do you Relay?