The annual Sr. Pauline Lucier Relay for Life was held in the Carr Center this year on Friday, March 22nd. Over 770 students, faculty, staff, and others participated in the overnight walk. Participants formed teams of ten and walked around the perimeter of the Carr Center until 7 am on Saturday, March 23rd. In order to join a team, participants had to pay a $ 10 registration fee prior to the event, or $15 at the door, in addition to any fundraising or donations. In total, $ 56,672 was raised through the event for cancer research.
Committee member Emily Donovan ’14 commented, “It was so exciting because when we started planning for Relay back in December, Dean Litz set our school-wide goal at $55,000 and we all laughed because we didn’t think we would make it! At around 7am at the closing ceremonies at Relay when we found out how much money we raised in total. I started crying because I couldn’t believe we raised that much!”
The night commenced at 6pm on Friday with the opening ceremony in which some of those participating spoke about their experiences dealing with cancer. Following that, participants began walking. Throughout the night there were a number of fun events occurring in the middle of gym for participants to take a break from walking. Such activities included musical chairs, limbo, knock-out, and the acclaimed dance off and talent show.
A few hours into the event, everyone gathered to the middle of the floor as they listened to some students’ stories about dealing with cancer. Everyone then proceeded to the perimeter of Carr for the Luminaria Ceremony, during which participants walk in silence for a half hour to honor all those who fought or are fighting Cancer. All of the lights were turned off and the only source of light came from the white battery-operated candle lit bags inscribed with the names of family and friends who battled or are battling cancer, which lined the walls of the gym.
Some of the students also cut their hair with support from Pantene Beautiful Lengths, an organization that promotes the use of real hair to make wigs for those who are fighting cancer. Between 20 and 30 students, both male and female, donated between 6 and 12 inches of their hair for this cause. Many students donated hair to support friends of family members with cancer.
Donovan mentioned, “The first relay meeting that Steph [Stephanie Kearsley ’14] announced that the cutting was going to take place, I knew immediately I wanted to do it.” Donovan donated her hair once before, in high school, when her aunt was diagnosed with colon cancer and brain tumors.
“Donating my hair was something that felt so rewarding to me. Hair is hair; it grows back, and some people aren’t lucky enough to have hair. I remember the first time I saw my aunt with her wig, and I was so grateful to know that there were people out there like me that were nice enough to donate their hair,” said Donovan.
Donovan’s family was hit with cancer again this past summer when her father was also diagnosed with colon cancer. Donovan asked her father to come to Relay for Life this year to be the one to cut her hair.
Donovan’s final comment about the night was: “The day that I asked my dad if he would come up to school the night of Relay and cut off my hair he started crying. I knew this was the way I could give back to him and support him. He ended up cutting my hair as well as my friend Emily Fitzgerald’s hair and it was the best night of his life. He cried the whole time and was so happy to be at an event that honored people like him and showed awareness of cancer. He is already planning on coming up to relay next year!”
The committee would like to thank all those who participated in Relay for Life and all those who donated to such a worthy cause.