Salem State’s First Relay for Life a Success
SALEM, Mass., April 9, 2017 — Salem State University held its first ever Relay for Life event on Friday. About 230 students and community members occupied the Richard H. Rockett Arena at the O’Keefe Center overnight, from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday.
The event raises money for the American Cancer Society. Funds go towards research and support services for those dealing with cancer.
The twelve-hour event is “meant to celebrate, remember, and fight back against cancer,” said Christine Brown, a community manager for The American Cancer Society. “We start off by celebrating the cancer survivors, and then we have the Luminaria ceremony.”
The Luminaria Ceremony honors those who have personally fought against cancer.
“The Fight Back [portion of the event] is where we encourage all of our community to continue [the fight], not just throughout the relay, but afterwards,” Brown explained.
The fundraising goal was $25,000, but by the end of the event, $40,765 had been collected.
“It’s really surreal,” said Julia Marshall, president of SSU’s chapter of Colleges Against Cancer (CAC), which organized the event. “People are here, and they didn’t forget about us.”
Marshall is a sophomore and double major in Early Childhood Education and Art at Salem State. She first began planning the event about a year and a half ago, when Matt Eckhardt, a student in her public speaking class, gave a speech about Relay for Life. Marshall and Eckhardt communicated with The American Cancer Society, and the event came together this April.
Just two months after Eckhardt’s speech, Marshall’s brother Andrew, a junior in high school at the time, was diagnosed with leukemia. Marshall explained that this experience was not easy for her, but fellow CAC members and her Phi Sigma Sigma sorority sisters supported her. This strengthened her resolve to make Relay for Life a reality on campus.
Andrew Marshall, who plays guitar, performed during the Relay. He is currently on a three-year treatment plan and is looking into colleges for next year.
Deborah Smith is a cancer survivor from Salem, Mass.
“It could be nothing, but if you see something, go get it checked,” she said on Friday.
Smith described herself as an older student as Salem State. She is studying Human Resources, and has been cancer-free since October.
Nikkie Melanson is a senior and fellow Phi Sigma Sigma sister.
“[Marshall has] worked so hard on this,” Melanson said. “She had a dream and a mission, and she did it. She cares so much. It shows because of all the people . . . here to support her [and] make a difference.”
Many Phi Sigma Sigma members attended as part of their sorority’s commitment to community service and–of course–to support Marshall.
Marblehead High School’s Cancer Awareness Club and Salem State’s Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) also attended, among other groups. Different groups sported different colors, which painted the arena floor as participants awaited the beginning of the Luminaria Ceremony.
As the overhead lights dimmed, the scene revealed a number of white bags resting on the ground, each decorated with a name, and glowing because of a light placed inside. Apart from some soft music coming from a sound table run by Salem State’s WMWM radio station, the room fell silent. After some brief speeches, participants lit their purple glowstick bracelets, and a large circle of purple light arose. Some participants shed tears and held hands as they began walking around the loop of illuminated bags. Others hugged as they remembered loved ones that they have lost, as well as those still dealing with cancer.
Once the ceremony had ended, it was time for smiles and laughter: those present began doing Zumba. Other activities included pillowcase tie-dying, a performance from RDT, and a “Mr. and Mrs. Relay” pageant.
The CAC team hopes that they can involve more people in the Relay next year. They have already begun talking about future events.
“It’s so powerful when a community of college students comes together to put this on,” said Noel Peters, a survivor from Melrose, Mass. “I hope there are more of these [events] at Salem State.”
