The annual Relay For Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society will take place April 15 from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. at the Field House.
Event Chair BriAnn Parker, recruited by American Cancer Society Representative Mark Bradford, has been working on the event since November.
“I preside over committee meetings and the organization of the night of Relay,” Parker said. “I also trained the team captains and guided them in the best successful direction to lead their teams towards their team fundraising goals.”
Junior psychology major Michael Martinez serves as the team captain for the Student Government Association’s Relay For Life team.
“As team captain I had to develop a fundraiser to help us get to our goal which is $3,000,” he said. “We decided to raffle a 32 inch flat screen Samsung television, so I had to get everyone signed up to sell tickets.”
Parker has a committee of “about 15” people who have helped her plan the event overall, publicizing the fundraiser to attract participants and scheduling ceremonies and special laps. Some “special laps” consist of the Lady Gaga Lap, the Cotton-Eyed Joe Lap and the Pajama Lap.
“As of now, we have 383 registered participants online at www.relayforlife.org/tamucommercetx and look to have just over 400 at the actual event,” Parker said.
The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s volleyball team will also be in attendance at the event.
“We decided to make it mandatory as a team,” team member Chelsea Simonton said. “As a team, we will be helping out at any booth needed and walking in memory of the lost and for the survivors.”
Martinez said SGA will have a booth of it’s own at the event.
“SGA will have a table with the raffle and the television on display,” he said. “We will also be selling purple Gatorade throughout the night for the walkers to go along with the ‘Hollywood Goes Purple’ theme.”
However, these students are not only participating in the event because a coach or adviser told them too. Parker, Simonton and Martinez all expressed their understanding of the importance of the event.
“I am looking forward to seeing all of the lives touched by our ceremonies in honor of, in memory of, and in celebration of recognizing the world as being one step closer to finding the cure for cancer by the grace of God,” Parker said.
Martinez echoed her positivity, explaining why the event is personal to him.
“It is a fun night, but at the same time it is for a really big cause,” he said. “I have had people in my family die of cancer so it is nice to see everyone out there for the cause.”
Although the event is mandatory for the women’s volleyball team, Simonton said she would volunteer her own time to the fundraiser.
“I would participate in it because I know people who have died from and ones who have survived breast cancer,” she said. “Being able to volunteer even a little bit of time or to donate money to this event I feel like I am supporting them and research.”
The event that has become so personal to some participants was founded by Dr. Gordy Klatt, a marathon runner.
“Relay was created by Dr. Gordy Klatt in the mid 1980s in an attempt to financially help his local ACS office,” Parker said. “He loved participating in marathons and thought it would be a great way for him to raise money.”
Relay For Life has spread throughout the nation with committees like the one in Commerce planning ways to raise funds for cancer research. The benefit is open to the public and all proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society.