Ursinus College Students Keep Their Energy Going During the Relay for Life

The weather outside may have been frightful, but the Relayers inside the Floy Lewis Bakes Field House at Ursinus College made sure Saturday night was delightful.

At 4 p.m. Saturday, Ursinus students gathered around the campus’s indoor track to celebrate the college’s annual Relay for Life event and participate in the American Cancer Society’s fight against cancer.

According to the Relay for Life website, “The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.”

Though most events are held outdoors, the inclement weather made Ursinus’ field house a very convenient resource for the relay.

Early in the school year, students were asked to form teams to participate in the relay. The teams consisted of campus society organizations, various clubs and sports teams, academic societies and groups of friends dedicated to a cause.

Each team was formed under the direction of a team captain, the person in charge of the logistical aspects of his or her team such as T-shirt orders and meal sign-ups.

As the day approached, many teams developed individual fundraising tactics to implement at the event, such as face painting, a photo studio and bake sales. All proceeds from these separate fundraisers were donated to The American Cancer Society.

When the day of the event finally arrived, students gathered in the field house to check in between 4 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, and, after the opening ceremonies at 5 p.m., the relay began.

The premise of the event is that cancer does not sleep, and neither will those fighting it during the time of the event. The expectation is that each team has at least one member walking the track at all times throughout the event, barring the occasional group addresses and activities.

Opening ceremonies, including an introduction of event co-chairs Rebecca Kamm and Ashley Cattai, a brief address from Ursinus Interim President John Corson and an inspirational send-off from the entire Ursinus Relay committee, were followed by a group lap to the Lion King and a Wismer dining hall dinner for all, brownies included.

To work off dinner, the committee planned for an hour’s worth of Zumba dancing, an increasingly popular method of physical exercise and a fun way to get you moving.

Though there were no men in the group brave enough to try it, many of the girls from around the track did not hesitate to join the weaving pack in the middle of the gym for an experience of uncoordination worth some laughs.

The night progressed with the Luminaria Ceremony, featuring Ursinus acapella groups B’Naturals and Bearitones, and a solemn lap done by the entire group in attendance in remembrance of those who have lost the battle with cancer. Tears were abound as a slideshow was played, picturing many people who will live on in all of our hearts, but who can no longer be here with us today.

The heartache did not stay long, however, as DJ Gwendolyn Gundrum kept the relayers going with the first themed lap, “Best Friends.” Disney’s "You’ve Got a Friend in Me" put many arms around nearby shoulders and found skipping packs of happiness surrounding the track.

Breaks from walking were permitted later in the night for performances by Escape Velocity, an Ursinus dance group; the Ursinus dance team; and Seismic Step, Ursinus’ step team.

Though there were more events scheduled for the evening, the ambitious relayers had little strength left by 2 a.m. to fight the settling darkness. Though many resigned to their not-so-comfortable dorm room beds, there were some troopers who snuggled up with the field house’s cold floor, and even a few brave souls who took up volleyball and basketball tournaments throughout the night, trying to maintain their admirable energy levels. Relay races around 3 a.m. resulted in some fast laughs and faster injuries, but by 4 a.m., the Ursinus mentality of “GO” was dwindling.

We may have been weakened by the dead of night, and the sleep may have overtaken us for the most part, but the important part of Saturday night was that we, the Ursinus community, came together for this common cause of fighting cancer. We came together to remember. We came together to love. We came together to live.

On Saturday night, we became one, united body. On Saturday night, we became a representation of the union that will eventually find a cure to this horrible disease.