Within five years of its founding, Pitt’s Colleges Against Cancer has grown from two to 70… Within five years of its founding, Pitt’s Colleges Against Cancer has grown from two to 70 members and now holds the title of the American Cancer Society’s Chapter of the Year.

The American Cancer Society awarded the student group the status of Chapter of the Year and the award for most online fundraising at their annual summit last week at the David Lawrence Convention Center.

Pitt beat 85 other regional colleges throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio, including Penn State and Ohio State, for both of the awards.

Chapter president Lindsey Dietz attributed the chapter’s success at last Monday’s summit to the explosive rate at which involvement in Colleges Against Cancer has grown at Pitt.

“Pitt has done more in four years than most chapters have done in 10,” said Lindsay Hartwig, Pitt’s liaison to the American Cancer Society. “This proves this is something that students care about … and Pitt has the right leadership to make students care.”

Relay for Life, the chapter’s main fundraising event that takes place every April, had 101 teams and 1,085 participants last semester. The event raised a total of $113,000.The annual Relay takes place on the Cathedral lawn overnight, where teams formed by students take turns walking around a set track for about 15 hours. The lawn is filled with tents from each team, as well as various activities and games to entertain the participants as they walk to raise money to fight cancer.

The online fundraising for Relay for Life comes from each team’s account on the Relay’s website, where members’ friends and family can pledge money before the actual event takes place. People can also donate money and fundraise on location the day of the event.

Dietz said the chapter’s rapid growth and success in the past few years “shows that even though college kids are busy, they do care about important causes.”

Ashley Davis, the business manager for Pitt’s Colleges Against Cancer, said the chapter raised its goal this year to $130,000, which will go to the American Cancer Society.

“We’re on the fast track to becoming one of the most successful Colleges Against Cancer chapters in the country,” Davis said.

Colleges Against Cancer is a student-run organization that works in concert with the American Cancer Society to fulfill four strategic directions: cancer education, political advocacy, support for cancer survivors and an annual Relay For Life, which is their biggest source for funds and publicity.

While Relay For Life may be the group’s most notable event, they also fundraise and build awareness by holding smaller events throughout the school year that contribute to the grand fundraising total at the year’s end.

This year, Pitt’s Colleges Against Cancer will hold a “Bowling For Boobs” event in the Pitt Athletic Association building on Oct. 19 and the breast cancer awareness event “Pink The Rink” at a club hockey game later this month.

Hartwig said that with more than 2 million volunteers nationwide, the American Cancer Society is one of the oldest and largest voluntary health agencies in the United States. Pitt’s chapter is one of more than 300 college chapters across the nation working with the American Cancer Society.

Each year, hundreds of Colleges Against Cancer chapters turn in a year-end report that the Society reviews, Hartwig said. The American Cancer Society selects the best regional chapters based on campus engagement, success of events, creativity and the promotion of the American Cancer Society mission, which is the elimination of cancer as a major health concern.

Colleges Against Cancer will hold its next annual Relay For Life on Friday, April 13, through the night to Saturday, April 14. The student group will play off the event’s date, Friday the 13th, with a Halloween theme and “It’s Cancer’s Unlucky Day” slogan.

“Cancer never sleeps,” Dietz said. “And for one night, neither do we.”