Preview of 12th Annual Relay for Life Fundraiser in April

BHUMIKA CHOUDHARY ’18
STAFF WRITER
Trinity College hosted its 12th annual Relay for Life fundraiser in April. Each year the event has an annual goal of $25,000 to raise and aims to receive anywhere between 30 to 50 teams to participate. The event also welcomes individuals from the Hartford community and beyond, which represents the sense of support that Relay for Life stands for.
Relay for Life is a nationwide fundraising initiative to benefit the American Cancer Society to work towards providing funding for cancer research and treatments. The effort was initiated by Dr. Gordon Klatt in May 1985 who spent 24 hours circling the track at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Within those 24 hours, $27,000 was raised through pledges and since then Relay for Life has raised over $5 billion for research across the country.
Today, the organization also uses the majority of its funds to provide direct patient support in the form of helping individuals navigate the healthcare system, peer support networks, and helping people with appearance-related side effects of treatment.
The fundraiser event is comprised of team members taking turns to walk around a track or designated path for anywhere between six to twenty-four hours to signify that cancer never sleeps. Each team is also expected to set up a themed campsite at the event where participants are encouraged to participate in games and activities. Carina Leggio ’18, Co-Chair of Relay for Life Trinity College, recalls the lip sync competition that included some very rousing renditions of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys as her favorite memory from last year’s Relay for Life event. Another tradition that Leggio cherishes is the decoration of a luminaria bag with the name and dedication to a loved one who fought cancer.
Leggio shares some of the exciting events scheduled till the main fundraising event in Spring that the Trinity community can look forward to. “We will be having a table with delicious baked goods at the Homecoming football game and next semester we plan to hold our annual date auction where you can bid on Trinity’s most eligible bachelor and bachelorette cuties to win a date with them,” Leggio said.
Leggio has participated in the organization of Relay for Life fundraiser since freshmen year and encourages the Trinity community to participate in the April fundraising event. Leggio added, “I think the significance of having this event on campus is that it continues to encourage Trinity students to look outside of themselves and have an opportunity to give back to a worthy cause in a fun and purposeful way.”