The College came together for what Dean Alicia Finn called a “night to show the power of the Anselmian community” at the Sister Pauline Lucier Relay for Life. This year’s Relay was held on April 5 and raised over $85,000 to fight cancer.
Every year, Relay honors members of the Anselmian community whose lives have been impacted by cancer and fundraises for the American Cancer Society. Participants organize into teams, fundraise before the event, then walk laps around the Carr Center overnight. The event also includes speeches by students whose lives have been affected by cancer, the beloved Luminaria ceremony, and the chance for participants to donate hair to cancer patients.
This year’s Relay Grand Marshal was Caroline Kiley ’24, who shared her story with the Crier in the March 26 issue. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2019, just two weeks into her first semester on the Hilltop. Kiley took a leave of absence to undergo treatment, and said she felt an overwhelming amount of support from the Anselmian community during her time away.
Diego Benites ’25 called speaking at Relay “a very emotional experience.” He said it was “the first time that I’ve publicly spoken about what I’ve gone through,” in being diagnosed as a child with a type of tumor called an optic pathway glioma. Benites reflected, “I think Relay has allowed me to truly confront my past in a way that I haven’t done before, and it was a pretty healing experience for both me and my family. Never have I received the amount of support that I’m currently getting now. The amount of people that have reached out has been overwhelming, and I think that’s a true testament of what this community is all about.”
Erin Crowley ’24 also spoke about supporting her mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I was really excited to speak about my family! Being able to get up there and feel all the love and support after made the whole night a truly healing experience,” Crowley said.
The co-chairs of this year’s Relay for Life were Jackie Labovitz (president of Saint Elizabeth Seton Society) and Tim Burgess (president of King Edward Society). Labovitz and Burgess were joined by Julia Dowling from Koinonia Society and TJ Morgera from the Red Key Society, as well as other members of the Relay 2024 Committee.
