Why do you relay? That's a question that a lot of Hokies are beginning to ask one another. Home of one of the nation's largest collegiate Relay for Life events, and the largest in the ACC, Tech's Relay For Life is getting prepped for several kick off events, which will begin nearly four months of Relay activities in the Blacksburg community.
The American Cancer Society puts on this overnight event across the country every year to help celebrate the survivors and raise money for research and programs dedicated to overcoming the disease.
"It is nearly impossible now to meet new people that haven't had some sort of life experience with cancer," said Chris Armstrong, one of Tech Relay's co-directors. "It is a tragic disease that can make life painstaking over a great deal of time or take a life in an instant."
"We've all lost loved ones to cancer and have survivors in our families. My aunt is a survivor and my father is battling cancer himself. It's become even more personal for us, just this year," said Mike-E, a hip-hop spoken word artist who will be performing in the show Monday night.
Participants at schools, parks and tracks take turns walking or running laps, keeping one member from their team on the track at all times. Tech's Relay for Life theme for this year is "Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back," and will be held at Johnson-Miller track and field.
Beginning with the Kick-Off Concert on Monday, Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m., the SGA is trying to get people excited early in the semester, even though the event isn't until April 24. Taking place in Squires Commonwealth Ballroom, the Kick-Off Concert will have performances by Mike-E and Kenny Watson, both of the group AfroFlow. Free Relay gear will be given out to the first 100 guests.
Tech's Relay For Life program is always trying to engage college students in addressing alarming cancer rates. Students should think of this as a mini-relay. According to those involved, SGA is serious about eliminating cancer, and the AfroFlow tour hopes to inspire those who don't know about it already to get involved.
"Chris and I were elected co-directors in May and began working immediately," said Alice Wagner, a co-director for the program. "Relay For Life is a year-long fundraising movement. It is not just an event in the spring, it is a yearlong commitment."
"I have the awesome opportunity to serve with Alice ... for this year's event. We have a committee of over 120 people who are dedicated to this cause and achieving amazing things with Relay For Life at Virginia Tech this year," Armstrong said. "Efforts go on from Sept. 2008 until our event on April 24."
The event truly takes a year to put together, from organizing volunteers to refreshments, to hundreds of other details that come with putting together an event for thousands of people. Fundraising is a huge component of the event, and there are some committees that are assigned the sole task of signing people up for fundraising opportunities.
"To make Relay For Life a yearlong movement on campus, we began in the fall semester with a weeklong marketing blitz to jump start Relay. We want to encourage participants to sign up and start fundraising now," Wagner said.
While the AfroFlow Tour and kick-off event is free, they hope it will motivate people to start fundraising months before the event.
"It will provide the motivation and excitement to get started fundraising for anyone willing to participate in Relay. We will have some truly inspirational people sharing information with everyone about the fight against cancer," Armstrong said. "In addition, (we will have) a performance by Juxtaposition and a special presentation from the Relay For Life Committee."
Through ACS partners in the South Atlantic division and Colleges Against Cancer, or CAC, this is the third year the AfroFlow tour will take place, but its first year at Tech. Mike-E, whose real name is Michael Ellison, has worked closely with the directors of the Relay program here at Tech.
"Just understanding that Virginia Tech was one of the schools that worked extremely hard and was very successful with Relay, and being cognizant of the tragedy at Tech drew us here. The committee was so persistent and diligent about reaching out to us, and we wanted to honor their work," Mike-E said.
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