Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to “follow the yellow brick road” and support the Relay for Life on Saturday, March 25, when Steele Hall will take on the feel of the beloved film “The Wizard of Oz” to benefit the American Cancer Society.
“There’s no place like hope” is the theme of this year’s fundraiser -- the 11th at Fredonia -- that gets underway at 4 p.m. and continues until 4 a.m. on Sunday, March 26. The goal is to raise $30,000 for the Buffalo chapter of the American Cancer Society. Relay for Life is conducted by the student group Colleges Against Cancer, and co-chairs for the 2017 event are Danielle Romanini and Taylor Chwanlinski.
Lined in yellow tape and luminaria bags, the field house’s perimeter running track will be transformed into a yellow brick road that harkens back to the journey Judy Garland took in the classic 1939 MGM film. Full-size cut-outs of the film’s leading characters will be placed in the arena and ruby slippers will be the sought-after prize in the scavenger hunt.
Other planned activities include Zumba classes, the ever-popular Pie Your Professor, a tug-of-war, Pong for a Cure, Minute to Win and musical chairs. The Blue Ice step team and several a cappella ensembles – Much More Chill, NoteWorthy, Premium Blend and The Guerillas – will perform. A photo booth and disc jockey will also be part of the festivities.
The opening ceremony, with remarks by President Virginia Horvath, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Terry Brown and cancer survivor Ann Carden, will begin at 5 p.m. The national anthem will be sung by Liam Jones, a senior Communication - Audio/Radio Production major. There will also be survivors’ and caregivers’ laps around the arena.
The luminaria ceremony at 9 p.m. will feature comments by Colleges Against Cancer advisor Joyce Harvard Smith and members of the student group’s e-board. Ayden Wickman, a senior Childhood Education/Math major, will also sing at the ceremony.
“Paint Cranston Purple” will be held on Friday, the day before Relay for Life, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to build Relay for Life momentum. Colleges Against Cancer will adorn the dining hall with purple streamers, balloons and other decorations. A table will be set up in the second-floor lobby to collect donations, sell luminaria bags and encourage students, faculty and staff to register as participants.
The Cranston staff will supplement their menu with purple pasta, purple desserts and blueberry yogurt. Diners will also be encouraged to wear purple.
Students – either as individuals and teams – can sign up online. Teams are encouraged to fundraise and edit their dashboards in order to earn spirit points for the event. An early-bird registration fee of $5 will be offered through Friday, March 3. The fee will be $10 through Friday, March 24. The day-of-event registration fee is $20.
A Relay for Life showcase, created by Zoe Tzetzis, Volunteer Services intern; Monica Manney, Colleges Against Cancer marketing chair; and Ms. Smith, has been created in Reed Library.
Relay for Life, created by a partnership between Colleges Against Cancer and the Buffalo chapter of the American Cancer Society, is the world’s largest fundraising effort that supports the American Cancer Society in its battle against cancer.
