Paper bags filled the Siebert Hall lawn Sunday, each representing someone who died from cancer.
Over 100 people lit candles in each of the bags and drew encouraging pictures as part of the American Cancer Society Buckeye chapter’s annual Relay for Life, which had been paused since 2019 due to the pandemic. This year, the event raised more than $15,000, with proceeds dedicated to fund cancer research.
“As a community, every step taken and every dollar raised helps the American Cancer Society fight cancer on all fronts,” said Rahaf Shalash, Relay for Life event lead, member of the Buckeye chapter and a third-year in human nutrition. “While each of us has a unique reason for being here, we all have something very much in common. We want to make a difference in the fight against cancer and we are doing that, you all are doing that.”
Participants walked around the lawn twice, once as a dedication for survivors and the second for supporters and caregivers. Cancer survivors shared their personal battles, including Brenda George, a thyroid cancer survivor who has since dedicated her time to advocate for cancer research as a Voice of Hope Speaker with the American Cancer Society.
“Leading the fight for a world without cancer will take power, courage, time, money and sacrifice, just like it does to survive cancer,” George said. “But it is possible.”
Prior to the walk, George offered words of inspiration to the participants.
“You might feel weak today, but the fire within you — your passion, your determination, your strength, your courage, even on the days that seem overwhelmingly defeating — that is going to rule the fire within you and enable you to rise above this present situation and help you look to the future with hope and anticipation for better days to come,” George said.
Due to the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Isabelle Castillo-Anderson, a senior development manager at the American Cancer Society, said the Buckeye chapter encountered difficulties in regaining momentum. However, the latest group of students stepped up to the plate, working to promote the event through fundraising, networking and initiatives such as making blankets for cancer patients.
“We launched this committee of students late last semester, so within these last three to four months [we have gone] from nothing to building out that awareness and presence back on campus,” Castillo-Anderson said.
Castillo-Anderson said this allowed participants to celebrate, remember, fight back and honor the people lost to cancer. This allowed people to connect with others affected by cancer, said Yusuf Rasheed, a third-year in biology and president of the group’s Buckeye chapter.
“We’re all here for the same purpose. Over these next few hours, let’s fight as one community against our number one enemy, cancer,” Rasheed said.
These reasons contribute to why the group is defined as “more than just a walk,” according to the American Cancer Society website.
