Students stay up all night for a cure for cancer, raise $60,000

Instead of pulling an all-nighter for academic reasons, about 450 students stayed up Saturday night to raise money to find a cure for cancer.\nAlthough 53 teams were registered, 46 teams showed up for the annual Relay For Life on Saturday and Sunday at the Billy Hayes Track. The event raised about $60,000 for the American Cancer Society. \nFrom 3 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, a member from each team was supposed to be walking around the track. When it wasn’t their turn to walk, team members sat in tents, laid on the grass, flew kites, threw a Frisbee or played soccer. Several musicians, contests and speakers were planned throughout the night and early morning. \nSenior Timothy Hawkins, has several family members who have had cancer. He said he could relax because all his team’s work of raising money was done for this year. \n“It’s cool because everyone can hang out, have an all-nighter,” Hawkins said.\nHe hopes the event gets bigger to not only make more money, but to make the Relay For Life a big deal on campus. \n“It’s a win-win situation,” he said. \nThe event raised between $60,000 and $65,000 after expenses, said Andrea Curtis-French, American Cancer Society staff partner. The event’s goal is to raise $90,000 by Aug. 31.\nSenior Tim Fuller said he hopes the event raises awareness of cancer. \n“People know how bad cancer is,” he said. “But they don’t realize every person can make a difference.” \nFreshman Zane Galyan said the event was fun, but also humbling. \n“The odds of me getting cancer are ridiculously high,” Galyan said. “To know this many people can get together to find a cure is amazing.” \nGalyan said both his parents and other family members have had cancer. He said that every little bit helps. \nCale O’Bryan, vice president of communications for the Sigma Phi Epsilon, said his fraternity wanted to support the American Cancer Society by being present at the event. It was the first year the fraternity participated in Relay For Life, and they hope to raise more money next year, he said. \n“Relay is a celebration of life, and these survivors are the primary example of what it’s like to live life to the fullest,” sophomore and event coordinator Jennifer Conley said. \nBloomington residents and cancer survivors Basil and Jocelyn Wentworth said they liked walking and hanging out with the college students. However, Basil Wentworth warned that the possibility of cancer seems so remote for young people that they don’t think about it. \n“It gives them a false sense of security,” he said. \nJocelyn Wentworth said most years she’s invited to IU’s Relay for Life, but this year she didn’t receive an invitation. So, she called the survivorship committee chair and asked her to invite her and \nher husband. \nVolunteers set up a table where participants could decorate a paper bag in honor of a loved one. Called luminaries, the bags held a candle and were placed around the track. The luminaries were lit at dusk. \nCurtis-French said teams started raising money this year in January. She said teams don’t typically go door-to-door any longer because they do most of the fundraising on the Internet. \nShe said teams set up a profile on the Relay For Life Web site and teams send e-mails out asking people to donate.\n“It’s easier for both parties,” she said.