About 500 students participated in Tufts' fifth annual Relay for Life, a 12-hour walkathon that began on Friday evening. The event, which raised money for the American Cancer Society, was held in the Gantcher Center.
While official numbers have not yet been calculated, Tufts Relay for Life Tri-Chair and sophomore Zach Parris estimated that the event brought in at least $69,800. Individual participants raised most of the money by getting people to sponsor them, but organizers also undertook some fundraising projects.
"We should hit $70,000 by the time we include money from auctions and donations that still might come in," Parris said.
On Friday, the event began at 5 p.m. with a survivor's dinner. The relay itself started around an hour later and lasted until 6 a.m.
Volunteers participated in the relay in teams, usually of around 10 to 12 people, with at least one representative from each team walking at any given time.
"Some 75 people stayed all 12 hours, but around 500 people came throughout the night," Parris said.
When participants weren't walking, they spent their time playing Twister, poker and other games. They could also buy snacks to raise money, play volleyball or listen to performances from student groups.
Performers included Turbo, Spirit of Color (SOC), Sarabande, the Tufts Garba Team, the Burlesque Troupe, standup comedian and junior Jay Singh, singers Jeff Remis and Elad Cohen, both seniors, and the band Weathervane Octane. "This year, we featured more performance groups than ever before," Parris said.
The hour-long Luminaria Ceremony, which honored all people alive or dead who have had cancer, was "one of the more moving parts of the evening," according to senior Robyn Yano, who was a member of the Relay's organizing committee.
During the ceremony, lights were kept off and glow sticks in paper bags were placed around the track. Volunteers were encouraged to decorate the bags with the names of loved ones who have been affected by cancer.
Amidst all the fun and games, this ceremony provided a solemn reminder of the purpose of the event. "The Luminaria reminds us why we are doing the Relay for Life," Yano said.
"It is a time for reflection and a way for people to bring the fight for cancer to a more personal level," Luminaria Chair and junior Yuna Park said.
Many new faces were involved in the preparation for this year's relay, according to Parris, who said the event went particularly well considering that the organizing committee had little experience.
"Overall, I think we were very successful this year," he said. "Although we raised about $4,000 less than last year, this year's committee has very little experience. Out of the 20 members, 18 are new."
Tufts' liaison from the American Cancer Society was also new this year, leaving the group with only two members who had previously been involved with planning a Relay.
"We didn't have a lot of guidance on so many aspects of the project, like food, donations and publicity," Parris said. "Given the circumstances, I'm very pleased with our outcome."
Yano, who referred to herself as "the grandma of the bunch," was one of the two returning committee members. "Everyone on the committee was so young and excited," she said. "I was never worried about how it would go, because everyone was so enthusiastic and so invested in the issue."
