Relay For Life to fund cancer research to be held Apr. 30

The Relay for Life will be held on Saturday, Apr. 30 as a fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society (ACS). The fundraiser will be held in the Merritt Athletic Center from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. 

According to the ACS website, “At Relay for Life, no donation is too small, and each and every dollar counts. Your donations help fund groundbreaking cancer research, patient care programs, and can make a difference in communities like ours. With every donation, you are helping the American Cancer Society save lives.

Chryssa Tzetzis, junior biology major and president of the Geneseo ACS club, said that this year’s Relay for Life is the first in-person event the ACS club has held since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. 

“Obviously since the pandemic, most of the school has not seen a Relay for Life. No one knows what it is, and that's including me. I have never been to one here because we all got sent home my freshman year,” she said. “I've been a part of two virtual events, and those are all great and supporting a great cause, but it doesn't really set you up for planning an in-person one. So, it has been a task. It's been a hard task, but we’ve hit it head on.”

As of Wednesday, Apr. 13, SUNY Geneseo has raised $22,818 for the ACS, almost as much as the 2021 Relay for Life raised. Tzetzis said that she hopes the relay will raise $100,000 by the end of the month. 

She said, “So this year we have raised, as of today, around $22,000, and we're still pretty much a month away from the relay. That's pretty great, given that that's how much we raised last year, give or take some. Our goal is $100,000. We want to hit that $100,000, and we've done it before. We've surpassed it in the past and we want to do it again.” 

Tzetzis said that she hopes the relay will benefit those fighting cancer and their families, as well as create a compassionate community of students who support each other on campus.

“[The event] is to celebrate those who have won their battle, who fight back with those who are still fighting, and to honor those who have lost their battle of cancer,” Tzetzis said. “We want to have this big party of camaraderie and bring together a community of students helping and supporting all those who have either themselves or have had loved ones or friends impacted by cancer.”

According to Tzetzis, the fundraising event on Apr. 30 is open to any students that want to participate, and she encouraged students to come with their organizations. Students can register to participate online at the ACS website or in the Merritt Athletic Center on Apr. 30 starting at 12 p.m. 

“We can’t hold this event if no one comes, either signed up by yourself or with a team or organization. We want as many people to come as possible. We're excited to have around 320 participants already, and we are hoping to have even more on the day as well.” she said.

Tzetzis said that she is proud of the work that the ACS club has done to organize this year’s Relay for Life, and that donating to a cause like the ACS is a rewarding experience. 

“You know you're doing good, deep in your heart, and that kind of keeps you rolling. No matter how frustrated you get, and no matter how stressed you are, you're supporting everybody around you. That really keeps me going and keeps a lot of people in the club going, and it’s really meaningful, especially what we’ve done for this one.”