Relay For Life
The infographic provided contains facts about Relay for Life
and cancer. The video features Winthrop students, Chandler Robinson, Jaleel Reeves, and DeVonte Walker. Music in the video is Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen's "Good time." Enjoy!
Here is Youtube link to the video.
Winthrop University students, faculty, and Rock Hill
community members came out on April 20th for the annual Relay for
Life event. Every year people from the
community gather to Winthrop’s campus to organize an overnight community fundraising
walk. People can sign up to participate
in teams or as individuals to walk in support or in remembrance of a loved one
who was diagnosed with cancer. The Relay
for Life movement has grown since 1985 into a worldwide phenomenon, raising
more than $4 billion to fight cancer.
The event usually takes place outdoors, but due to rain the
location was moved to the West Center gym.
Cloudy skies did not damper the spirits of those partaking in the
festivities. Popular upbeat music and
smiling faces lit the gym with the celebratory feelings of people coming together
in order for support of cancer research.
To officially begin the celebration Laura Wilt, a
representative of Winthrop’s Colleges Against Cancer organization, opened with
a speech. “We are here to raise money
for the American Cancer Society and to increase cancer awareness,” she said, “remember
the loved one’s we have lost to the disease as we walk along with survivors to
grieve and find healing.”
The end of her speech signaled for the cancer survivors to
take the first lap. As the survivors
traveled across the track, the sound of cheers reverberated throughout the gym congratulating
them for their fight against cancer.
As the night progressed more people started coming in to
join in the ceremony, as they were drawn to the music and laughter. Close to midnight the Luminaria Ceremony,
honors the loved ones who have passed or are fighting the disease, began. The moods of the crowd were simultaneously
somber and hope full as candles were lit within the gym. Winthrop University student Ariel Thompson
stated that “this is a very important event for me and I take part in it
because I lost my mom to cancer a few years ago.”
At the close of the
ceremony as the sun began to come up the Fight Back Ceremony took place. This final ceremony allows participants to
take a final lap and pledge to take action and spread awareness of cancer
research, treatments, and prevention. Blair Ligon, a Winthrop faculty member,
expressed that she was “so proud to see her contributions to the American
Cancer Society over the years in effect, and I can’t wait to do this again.”
