| | Sean Spitzer/The Lantern | | Students held a kick off event at the RPAC Tuesday night to sign groups up for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. |
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Colleges Against Cancer had its kick-off event for Relay for Life at the Recreation and Physical Activity Center Monday.
CAC is an Ohio State student organization associated with the American Cancer Society that recruits OSU students to participate in the relay. The kick-off event was an open house where students could get general information about Relay for Life or sign up teams.
The students involved in CAC are passionate about recruiting for the event. They try to get students, faculty and their families and even the surrounding community to participate, said Sarah Murphy, a junior in aerospace engineering and co-vice president of CAC.
The group even has a student whose sole job is to talk to as many students as possible about the relay. Holding the title of team recruitment chair is Melissa Perrino, a sophomore in biology.
"In the fall, we target different groups, like people in dorms, greek life and off-campus. That's most students," Perrino said.
Perrino said she has e-mailed every student organization, met with hall directors during staff meetings and given two-minute presentations for large lectures.
Besides recruiting, CAC participates in Relay for Life itself.
CAC member Kara Himelfarb, a senior in biology, said she has been involved in the relay for the last two years and became involved because her aunt had been sick with cancer for years.
Himelfarb said her aunt had recurring breast cancer, which then spread to her bones and liver.
"It spread to her skull, that's when they knew they couldn't do anything else for her," she said. "They just tried to make her comfortable."
Himelfarb said her aunt died in September.
Participation in the relay is also personal for Murphy.
"I've been involved for eight years," she said.
Murphy said her dad's company was involved in the relay so her whole family ended up doing it.
"It's kind of an addiction," she said. "It's a great cause and it's not super stressful. You're with your friends honoring people with cancer."
Murphy said her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and her grandfather died of cancer in 2007.
"So since I've started, it's become more meaningful," she said.
Relay for Life starts at 11 a.m. on May 17.
Everdeen Mason can be reached at mason.388@osu.edu.
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