The “Knock Out Cancer” poster promoting this year’s Relay for Life at Butler. Photo courtesy Butler Relay for Life.
ELLIE ALLEN | STAFF REPORTER | emallen2@butler.edu
On Sept. 22, Butler University will host its annual Relay for Life at the HRC from noon to 8 p.m. This year’s theme is “Knock Out Cancer,” and there will be self-defense training and kickboxing lessons to coincide. Participants can sign up online or at the gazebo from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. until Sept. 21.
Students can also participate in a variety of activities ranging from a frozen t-shirt contest to throwing a pie at a professor or BUPD officer. All events are sponsored by Colleges Against Cancer. Participants will also have a chance to win prizes and gift cards.
Butler University’s goal is to raise about $50,000. Currently, Butler students and community members have raised around $23,000. All of the money will go to the American Cancer Society to help support caregivers, people with cancer and research that is trying to develop a cure.
Greer Garvin, president of CAC and a junior marketing major, said her hope for this year’s Relay for Life is to raise awareness for CAC and to promote student involvement with the organization.
“My main goal for Relay this year is for people to understand all the different elements of Relay,” Garvin said. “There are so many ways that you can get involved, and there are so many ways you can connect to the event.”
At the end of the night, there will be a luminaria where participants have the opportunity to honor loved ones who are fighting cancer. Students can write the names of those people on paper lanterns and release them into the sky.
Jeremy Caylor, a logistics committee chair for Relay for Life and senior biology major, said he enjoys Relay for Life because it is an opportunity to be around people who have the same level of passion as him.
“My favorite part is the people I do it with because we are all passionate about the same cause for different reasons,” Caylor said. “But, in the end it is the same reason because we have been affected by the disease in some way, whether it’s a family member or a friend.”
Caylor said Relay for Life is a great way to support those battling cancer, and an event everyone can get involved in.
“It’s good for students to come out and support their peers who may be suffering directly or indirectly,” Caylor said. “Ultimately, it is a fundraising event, but even for students who don’t want to spend money, they can still come and support others and have fun with us.”
The top fundraising group, Dawg Walkers, have raised around $17,000. The group is composed of Butler staff members, and is lead by Chris Davis, director of the print, copy and mail service for Campus Impressions. Davis has been involved with Relay for Life for ten years.
Davis said that he started an annual golf outing to raise money for Relay for Life because his best friend passed away after battling esophageal cancer. This August was the sixth annual Joe Jeffers Memorial Golf Outing. Dawg Walkers to raise around $9,700 through the event.
“He and I spent many a day on the golf course playing golf together,” Davis said.
Davis said he hopes this Relay for Life will put the American Cancer Society closer to finding a cure for cancer.
“Hopefully, we will be that much closer to finding a cure for cancer and ending the pain that those who are suffering with cancer go through,” Davis said.
