A simple track relay brought student groups together Friday night, although the race produced no losers or brief display of endurance.

One by one, Syracuse University students filed into Manley Field House – many with a pillow and sleeping bag in tow – to find a camp station and a starting point on the track.

And then the walking began.

Over the next 12 hours, 95 teams sped along the pedestrian highway known as Relay for Life, each step furthering a dedication to those affected by cancer. By the end of the night, their efforts raised $104,000 for the American Cancer Society and proved the power college students can garner when united by a deeply personal cause.

‘There’s a perception that college students are self-centered,’ said Alicia Kinder, director of special events for the ACS. ‘Relay has shown everyone that students do care and are willing to do something that helps other people.’

Relay for Life, an emotion-filled, overnight track event, has been in existence since 1985. That year, Dr. Gordy Klatt of the ACS walked for 24 consecutive hours at Baker stadium at the University of Puget Sound. In the last 20 years, Relay has not only spread rapidly throughout the United States, but has reached international sites in over 20 different foreign countries. Syracuse was added to this list just three years ago, when Kinder moved to the area and brought her knowledge of the fund-raising event with her.

‘I looked to see if there was an Alpha Phi Omega (service fraternity) on campus, told them about Relay, and they just got on board,’ she said.

The efforts of Kinder, as well as those of senior psychology major Anna Floreen and senior inclusive elementary and special education major Beck Reilly – co-chairs of the Relay planning committee – culminated into a service program-meets-talent showcase that kept many awake through the wee hours of the morning.

The event began with a survivor lap in which cancer survivors led the rest of the participants around the track. The next lap, the banner lap, included not only the official Relay for Life Banner but also those produced by all student groups in attendance. From the outing club to greek organizations, SU Ambulance to learning communities, a diverse array of student groups gathered to raise money both on and off the relay site. A few high profile characters, such as senior inclusive education major Craig Forth and Chancellor Nancy Cantor, also came out to support the event.

‘A lot of members of my family had or have cancer as we speak,’ Forth said. He has participated in the event since it came to SU because he enjoys ‘spending time with people you know, and raising money for a good cause knowing how much you raised.’ Forth and one other student created a team called Team Mates in honor of friends and relatives with cancer.

A few of the teams, such as team Shark Attack, consisted solely of friends with a similar motivation to support the race for a cure. The hodgepodge group of about 15 students wore shark hats and allowed non-members to pay for a photo with an inflatable shark. Before the onsite fund-raiser, the group had raised $1,200 for the event. One groupie, sophomore broadcast journalism major Jessie Kershaw, joined Shark Attack because of the emotional impact Relay had on her last year.

‘It’s a really moving experience,’ Kershaw said. ‘To walk the survivor lap with people who have beat such a terrible thing is amazing, and it makes them feel good too. We don’t want them to think we’ve forgotten about them.’

Although the student teams rallied in one Relay location and offered similar donation totals, their fund-raising journeys varied from one group to the next. For example, the captain of Team Bo 4, a group consisting of fourth floor Boland hall residents, was able to gather donations from 10 local Syracuse businesses. Donated gift certificates included a $100 gift from Ambrosia, a 30-minute massage from the Art of Massage and 27 minute tanning sessions from Hair Trends. By raffling these certificates at Relay, Bo 4 was able to raise $150 – more than any other group’s onsite fund-raising total.

‘My mother passed away a year ago (from cancer),’ said Dawn Kassirer, an undecided freshman in The College of Arts and Sciences and the leader of Bo 4. ‘I’m not going to be a doctor who finds a cure, so if there is any other way I can help out I’ll do it.’

Each team’s Relay donation placed them in one of three categories depending on the total amount they contributed. Groups that raised at least $1,000 were considered Bronze Teams, those with over $2,500 Silver Teams and those with over $5,000 Gold Teams. The group that raised the highest amount, as well as the only team to achieve Gold Team status, was the sorority Alpha Xi Delta.

According to senior advertising major Liz Teich, publicity chair of AZD, her team was able to raise $6,696 by establishing a planning committee and selling bracelets labeled ‘Celebrate hope.’ More importantly, she attributed the group’s success to the energy and willingness of individual members.

‘The whole sorority got involved, and it made things run smoothly,’ Teich said. ‘Everyone was just very motivated and excited this year.’

As the evening progressed, group members rotated between those circling the field and others who read, played cards or ran onsite fund-raisers; site events included anything from root beer pong by a team called the Flowing Mullets and stretcher rides from Syracuse University Ambulance.

Around 9 p.m., however, the event took a more somber turn as the lights dimmed and the luminary ceremony began. During that portion of the evening, many students bowed, reflected and cried as they looked upon luminaries dedicated to a loved one or heard the names of victims over the loud speaker. After the ceremony, one of the cancer survivors in attendance offered his appreciation for such respect from the Syracuse community.

‘I was often told that youth was wasted on the young, but I say that’s not true,’ said Salvator Nabone, also known as Sal and the owner of Sal’s Wings. Nabone, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999, has donated his food services to Relay for the last two years and says he will continue to do so, ‘God willing.’

‘At 65 years old, never in my entire life have I heard ‘thank you’ as much as I did in the last two years,’ Nabone said. ‘I’m glad to be here – I’m glad to be anywhere, and when people say ‘It’s good to see you,’ I say ‘It’s good to be seen.”

The atmosphere became lighter when several rock bands, a jazz ensemble called Sweaty Pants and a women’s a cappella group, the Mandarins, entertained Relay participants. These bands were interrupted around 11 p.m., when a drag show called ‘Mr. and Mrs. Relay’ began. After a long series of questionnaires for the drag participants, a member of the SU Outing Club and a contestant named ‘Ginger Snap,’ came out on top.

As night passed into the early morning hours, many students attempted to sleep at their campsite; others remained fixtures on the track. The approaching end left not just Relay organizers but outside SU leaders in awe of the achievements they had witnessed.

‘Everyone was really dedicated,’ said Reilly, chair of the committee that has been planning Relay since last September. ‘It’s cool that so many people on the committee is dedicated to it and take so much time to volunteer.’ Reilly added that the biggest challenge the committee will face next year is finding enough campsites for groups, making the Carrier Dome a desirable location.

Chancellor Cantor, who attended the closing ceremony Saturday morning, also displayed an appreciation for the student commitment shown at Relay.

‘It says how extremely engaged and empathetic the students are,’ Cantor said. ‘I think it’s great … it’s a largely student organized event, and it looks like people are having fun doing work that really matters.’

Published on April 9, 2005 at 12:00 pm