Waynesburg University will be holding its 11th annual Mini Relay For Life on April 9 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Johnson Commons. This year’s theme, “Kicking Cancer off the Board,” involves student-led clubs and organizations incorporating a gaming aspect into their displays or booths.
According to Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of students, the Relay for Life advisors picked the theme at the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year.
“We actually meet in September and have a very large planning meeting with all the advisors of Colleges Against Cancer,” she said. “Everything is planned way ahead of time.”
In the past 10 years, Hardie said Waynesburg University has raised an estimated $100,000 for cancer research. This is purely thanks to the devotion of the participating organizations and the kindness of those who attend the event, including students, faculty, staff, community members and families, said Hardie.
“It’s probably one of the most successful events on campus,” she said.
With over 1,000 participants in attendance during each Mini Relay For Life event held in the past on campus, reaching this year’s goal of $50,000 seems attainable to Hardie.
While the actual event is a day of fun and festivities including 22 “teams,” right now is the hard part: planning and coordination.
“Right now, we are fine-tuning the schedule and making sure all the details are prepared for the day of,” said Hardie. “We have the schedule pretty much completed, but we just have to make sure all the details are done.”
To prepare for the event, teams are already starting to fundraise, and the annual Daffodil Days fundraiser just wrapped up. While daffodils may seem like a silly item to purchase, Hardie said, teams are able to raise a lot of money for cancer research through these sales.
“This year’s Daffodil Days was a very successful fundraiser,” said Hardie. “We ended up raising a couple thousand dollars.”
In the past four years, Hardie has worked out a rhythm with the officers of the Colleges Against Cancer club, which is the on-campus organization responsible for coordinating Relay For Life. However, that smooth rhythm is about to change as every single officer in Colleges Against Cancer will be graduating this May.
“We are currently looking for brand new officers in every single role,” said Hardie.
On Friday, April 7, Colleges Against Cancer will be having elections to figure out who will be filling these new roles next year. For Hardie, her feelings are mixed about losing her senior officers, but she is hopeful for the future.
“It’s exciting, but it’s also scary at the same time,” said Hardie. “But it’s good because we are starting fresh, and I think that’s a good thing.”
If any students are interested in working with the American Cancer Society or taking on a role in Colleges Against Cancer, contact Hardie at khardie@waynesburg.edu.