Relay for Life raises money for cancer study, patients

IU's first annual Relay for Life, a 20-hour benefit, brought a melting pot of teams and organizations from around the campus and community to Haugh Field Saturday afternoon. \nAbout 39 teams and more than 350 participants registered for the event, which raised $43,793.85 for the American Cancer Society's patient care, research, advocacy and education.\nTwo hours into the event, which has been held at universities across the country, the benefit had already exceeded its fundraising goal by $10,000 and contributions were still coming in after the relay had finished. \nMonths of work finally paid off for Rachel Muhlstein, Ashley Goldberg and Andrew Schlachter, the three student chairs of IU's Relay for Life committee.\n"We expected a great turnout, but not like this," Goldberg said. "And this is just the beginning!"\nMuhlstein had been active in American Cancer Society Relays in her Fairfax, Va., community. She said she was surprised to come to IU and find that it had not established a Relay of its own. \n"When I came to IU last year, I decided I wanted to start a Relay for Life," Muhlstein said. "We were one of the only Big Ten schools that didn't have a Relay -- and it's such an active school."\nGoldberg, who is Mulhstein's roommate, survived bouts of osteosarcoma when she was seven and again when she was 12. She was enthusiastic about helping Muhlstein start a Relay for Life at IU.\n"I want to give back as much as I can to the American Cancer Society," said Goldberg. "Since the beginning of my diagnosis, they've been there to give me and my family as much information as they needed. I feel that it is necessary for me to be here to give back to them and do everything I can do."\nGoldberg was disappointed that the main recruitment goal, to get the Greek community out in full force, didn't work out as well as the committee had hoped. But she still thought the turnout was unbelievable. \nThe lawn around Haugh Field's track had the eager atmosphere of a carnival Saturday afternoon, with the grass cluttered with tents and lawn chairs, local musicians playing from the bandstand and a dunk tank set up next to a climbing wall donated by Hoosier Heights. \n"We've got sororities here, we have dorms, we have a ballroom dance team, we have groups of kids from all over the campus, we've got some faculty here -- we've got a little bit of everyone," Schlachter said.\nCapt. Bret Hart of the United States Marines Corps participated in the Relay at the suggestion of IU junior and Marine officer candidate Rob Regedanz, whose mother organizes Relays in Fort Wayne.\n"We thought it was a chance to just come out here and show some support for a fantastic cause and be around some pretty courageous people," Hart said. "These are ideals we subscribe to. It seemed like an awesome thing to do."\nRegedanz said the event offered a chance to have a good time and raise money for charity. \n"When I heard IU was getting ready to do this, I thought, 'What an opportunity to get some Marines together and have a really good time and raise some money and run some laps, do a little personal training,'" he said.\nThe American Cancer Society uses proceeds from Relay for Life toward patient service, research, advocacy and education, said American Cancer Society Administrative Assistant and Bloomington resident Tricia Bock. Money raised by large-scale benefits like Relay make it possible for the organization to provide local elementary schools, high schools and IU with free brochures and informative pamphlets, as well as provide people suffering from cancer with wheelchairs and hospital beds free of charge. \n"I'm impressed with the way we get it to them because there are no hoops to jump through," Bock said. "It's just: you need it, we'll get it to you, the end. I love that."\nSchlachter said he hopes Relay will ultimately rival IU's biggest charities.\n"We're really hoping that this will be a great first year and Relay can build into IU's next Dance Marathon," he said. "IU has their Little 5, IU has their Dance Marathon and IU has their Relay for Life. That's the goal."\nMuhlstein felt every ounce of worry and fear she put into organizing the event paid off. \n"I thought this event could be huge," she said. "And it is huge."\n-- Contact staff writer Annie Tasker at atasker@indiana.edu.