2008 Woodie Awards
Annual Relay for Life kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 19
Online exclusive
R.H. Popli
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: News
Starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, members of the greater St. Louis community will journey to Robert R. Hermann Stadium for the opportunity to support cancer research during the 2008 Relay for Life.
Relay for Life is an annual event held by the American Cancer Society in cooperation with many colleges nationwide. The event helps raise money for cancer research and awareness and also celebrates the lives of those lost to the disease. This year marks the fifth anniversary of Relay for Life at Saint Louis University.
Relay for Life will begin with opening ceremonies and the survivor kickoff, during which survivors will talk about cancer survival. At 10 p.m., students will spend an hour lighting candles in honor of cancer victims during the Luminaria ceremony.
"The Luminaria ceremony is very close to my heart," said Brittany Sommers, co-chair of Relay for Life. "It is a time when everyone comes together to remember loved ones that have lost their battle to cancer, as well as to remember the difficult battles that loved ones fought that beat cancer."
More events are planned between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., including poker, a frozen T-shirt contest (t-shirts are soaked in water and frozen; the first person to unwind and put on their T-shirt wins) and the Mr. Relay Contest, a male beauty pageant.
At 2 a.m., SLU will host its first Fight Back Ceremony in order to get students excited about battling cancer. Finally, at 5:30 a.m., closing ceremonies will conclude the event. In between each major event, there will be activities and performances, including the Barenaked Statues and Beyond All Reason.
"We want participants to leave Relay feeling empowered to make a difference in the fight against cancer," Sommers said, "whether that is through participation at our next year's Relay, continued fundraising, wearing sunscreen, telling their mother to get her yearly mammogram, committee membership or simply wearing their Relay shirt with pride."
Relay for Life is an annual event held by the American Cancer Society in cooperation with many colleges nationwide. The event helps raise money for cancer research and awareness and also celebrates the lives of those lost to the disease. This year marks the fifth anniversary of Relay for Life at Saint Louis University.
Relay for Life will begin with opening ceremonies and the survivor kickoff, during which survivors will talk about cancer survival. At 10 p.m., students will spend an hour lighting candles in honor of cancer victims during the Luminaria ceremony.
"The Luminaria ceremony is very close to my heart," said Brittany Sommers, co-chair of Relay for Life. "It is a time when everyone comes together to remember loved ones that have lost their battle to cancer, as well as to remember the difficult battles that loved ones fought that beat cancer."
More events are planned between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., including poker, a frozen T-shirt contest (t-shirts are soaked in water and frozen; the first person to unwind and put on their T-shirt wins) and the Mr. Relay Contest, a male beauty pageant.
At 2 a.m., SLU will host its first Fight Back Ceremony in order to get students excited about battling cancer. Finally, at 5:30 a.m., closing ceremonies will conclude the event. In between each major event, there will be activities and performances, including the Barenaked Statues and Beyond All Reason.
"We want participants to leave Relay feeling empowered to make a difference in the fight against cancer," Sommers said, "whether that is through participation at our next year's Relay, continued fundraising, wearing sunscreen, telling their mother to get her yearly mammogram, committee membership or simply wearing their Relay shirt with pride."
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