Collegiate Times

"Through AfroFlow, we remind people of the indigenous roots of soul, hip-hop, and yes, even, rock and roll. Maybe we can gain a more mutual respect for each other."

One of the major themes of the show is artistic integrity.  This relates to the mission of the American Cancer Society and its constituents, as well.

"You have to have integrity to take on the mission work that ACS does. When you look at the survivors and the people who have lost loved ones, they approach it with integrity," Mike-E said.  "Also, we have to take new and creative approaches to getting the word out and getting messages about the effect of tobacco out there. I think we need to look at things artistically and not just with a moral compass.

"People should come out to be entertained and have a very good time. We're talking about cancer awareness, but we're not talking about a two-hour lecture," Mike-E said. "The AfroFlow stage show represents several approaches to music, so they should come ready to hear a great live show and great live talent. This is a very inclusive show, we flow with everybody and everybody flows with us. That makes for a beautiful experience."

The event hopes to spark interest in those who have either never heard of Relay, or just aren't involved.  The goal for recruitment this year is to gain more than 3,500 Relay participants, making up at least 350 unique teams.  The dollar amount that the Relay For Life program wants to hit is $350,000.

"Our numbers currently show that our fundraising efforts are three times as much as they were Jan. 30, 2008," Wagner said.  "Our committee believes this year Virginia Tech can break record numbers so for us, the sky is the limit."

"We are more than confident that we can accomplish these things with the help of the amazing student body here at Virginia Tech," Armstrong said. "We want to see everyone participating in Relay For Life this year and I think everyone will find that Relay is going to do some really exciting things."

Several teams have jumped the gun on registration and fundraising (visit  www.vtrelay.org for current accomplishments).

"We have already achieved amazing things having recruited close to 1,200 participants with over 230 teams that have raised over $50,000," Armstrong said.

"A Relay For Life that Virginia Tech has never seen before is just on the horizon.  People should not miss April 24, 2009," Armstrong said.  "They should work hard fundraising by sending family and friend's e-mails, asking for any donation so that their experience that night will mean even more after knowing they have saved lives with their efforts."

For additional information, ACS has a hotline set up at 1-800-227-2345. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and callers can ask any question related to cancer.

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