Cancer survivors and 24 student organizations will celebrate Relay for Life’s 100th birthday by raising money in a party-type atmosphere, April 12-13 from 6 p.m. – 6 a.m. on Tech’s Main Quad.
Games, cake decorating competitions, a car bash, food and live bands will take place as participants walk laps around the Quad for 12 hours. Each organization has to set up a campsite on the quad that reveals their chosen type of birthday party.
“One team is doing luau themed birthday and another is doing Christmas,” Caitlin Harrison, Tech’s relay chairman, said. “We have already raised $11,000, and our goal is to raise $30,000.”
Each hour, the walking laps switches themes. Some of the themes include pajama, Duck Dynasty, school spirit, patriotic and cowboy/cowgirl laps.
All the money raised will be turned in by the end of the night, and the team with the most money raised is the winner of Relay.
The night starts out with a survivor lap at 6 p.m., which celebrates the survivor’s victory over cancer. Later in the evening there is a luminaria ceremony that’s purpose is to remember people who were lost to cancer, honor people who have fought cancer in the past, and support those whose fight continues.
“It shows you the stages of a cancer patient,” Harrison said. “At the beginning of the night you start out really energized and loving life, and by the end of the night, you get really tired. Each person is impacted by cancer, and we never realize how many people are impacted and how evil it is.”
Participants can decorate luminaries at the event to represent people they know with cancer for $5. They can also buy moon and star pin-ups for a $1.
This event is open to the public. More information can be found on the Tennessee Tech webpage on the Relay for Life website.
