“I’m a survivor” echoed during RELAY for LIFE

The 12-hour lock-down of the Anderson Sports and Health Center on April 1 was not an April Fool's joke. Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) hosted their second annual Relay for Life fundraiser between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. in hopes of both raising awareness and celebrating survivors' stories.

Relay for Life is personal for junior Lauren Gorney. She is a survivor of thyroid cancer.

"I was diagnosed on August 21, 2001. I had just turned 12, and it was devastating. I had a large lump on my neck and at this point, my skin tone was actually grey. All of the surgeries, radiation, and blood work rounds couldn't compare to the anxiety this disease caused in my life. My whole family felt it, and there was nothing we could do but wait and keep fighting," said Gorney.

Gorney battled the disease for seven years, but this November will commemorate three years of remission. "It will be 10 years since I was diagnosed this August. This all happened when I was just a little kid. To be in college, pursuing my dreams, surrounded by all of my friends at college was the perfect opportunity for me to close that chapter in my life and begin a new one," said Gorney.

Gorney welcomed the attendants by sharing her story of survival. "This is a big day for me," she said. "We all think it's [cancer] never going to happen to us. So many people have been affected by cancer. It's important for them to know that they're not alone."

Cancer survivors and their families embarked on the first lap of Relay for Life.

Father Don Williams officiated a luminaria ceremony in order to honor and remember those who have or had cancer. The lights of the Anderson Sports and Health Center were shut-off, but the glow from the luminaries illuminated the gym floor. The bags were arranged in order to spell the word "strength." "It was empowering to see this massive, glowing word of inspiration in a room of hundreds of people, and you could hear a pin drop," said Gorney.

CAC sponsored various activities throughout the night to keep participants entertained as they took turns walking laps. The evening consisted of a performance by MU's Dance Team, swing dance lessons by Resident Director Chelsea Blais and paper airplane and hula hoop contests.

The 12 hour fundraiser took place in the Anderson Center on Friday April 1 at 7 p.m. and lasted until Saturday April 2 at 7 a.m. Organizers of the event said their goal was to raise money for the American Cancer Society. "Cancer never sleeps. To beat cancer, we need to be aware of this fact and that's why [the event] goes throughout the night like this," said junior Cassie Graeff, president of CAC.