Relay For Life at Momouth Raises Funds to Fight Cancer

The fourth Annual Relay For Life at Monmouth University kicked off the 2011 fundraising campaign on Thursday, Feb. 3, with a welcoming of volunteers and teams working to raise funds to support the American Cancer Society’s programs to fight cancer.

The Colleges Against Cancer organization hosted a Kickoff Party at the Multipurpose Activity Center (MAC) to explain the RFL program, and how students working with community based teams can focus fundraising efforts on fighting cancer through research, healthy living for individuals, and raising awareness.

Last year’s Monmouth RFL teams brought in over $43,000 at the relay conducted at Kessler Field on campus. It came in amounts of individual contributions and also contributions derived from teams who ran or sponsored car washes, rummage sales, Dining for Donations, friend gatherings and a number of events small and large.

The money raised goes toward helping people stay well by taking steps to prevent cancer or detect it early on. Funds also help patients during treatment. Research that seeks to prevent the disease and to discover new ways to cure is supported from the contributions as well.

In 2010, the relay was held at the university’s fields on the Larchwood Avenue side of the campus. Residents from Long Branch, West Long Branch, Belmar, Asbury Park, Barnegat, Freehold, Middletown, Jackson and many other towns – opportunistically, towns many  Monmouth students call home- assembled over the April 15-16 RFL 24-hour walkathon on the track.

Service Clubs like the West Long Branch Lions, residents and business people, and the sororities and fraternities at Monmouth walked and helped raised money.  The 24-hour walk on the Kessler track followed a lawn parade featuring cancer survivors, care givers and friends and family members to launch the Fight Back campaign.  

The 2011 kickoff, billed as a Carnival of Hope was a festive occasion, a celebration of survivors who spoke of their cancer experiences and the help they received from the American Cancer Society and from Relay For Life programs each year. Family members spoke about what it meant to have a loved one suffer from the disease and its cure, remission and recovery - surviving, a celebration for all.

Devin Menker, aka Monmouth's mascot Shadow, spoke about the importance of the relay as as he described the experiences of his mother, a survivor and the way he and his sister also experienced the cancer struggle that led eventually to her surviving the ordeal.

Don’t waste time on disagreements and animosities, or other less important things. Pay attention to the important things like caring for each other, Menker said.

“Life is too short,” he said. His talk got a warm round of applause from fellow students and the several family members and friends in the Varsity Club at the MAC.

April Warez, a senior from a nearby high school – “A high tech school,” she called it. – was another survivor of her 14 year battle with cancer. She first was diagnosed at 4 years old. She spoke about her early experiences in school with her most generous supply of humor.  While she shared her difficulties as a child, she also showed courage and determination to not give in.  Her story, delivered with poise and confidence, received a warm applause and new-found friends who chatted with her later.

The Carnival of Hope was comprised of games, food and music, and booths where volunteers could learn more about fundraising, team organizing, promoting the RFL to the communities and the teams of schools, service organizations and neighborhood teams who want to be a part of the cancer fighting work of ACS.

The MU Colleges Against Cancer team, headed up by President Alexa Passalacqua with Co-Chairs Alissa Catalano and Jessica Rohr announced they already have 45 teams and 274 volunteers as of the Kickoff Party. More volunteers will be required and teams will focus on various aspects of the overall RFL campaign and on the April events at Kessler Field.

For readers interested in learning more about the campaign and how they may play a vital, necessary role in fighting cancer, go to www.relayforlife.org/monmouthuniversity.