Pitt’s first Relay for Life raises $13,000

Groups of students in hooded sweatshirts and running sneakers lined up to sign their names… Groups of students in hooded sweatshirts and running sneakers lined up to sign their names beside their pledges before walking down to the tents scattered on the field between the Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Chapel.

It smelled like rain early Friday evening, but that failed to deter the 19 teams that braved the turbulent winds for a good cause.

Pitt hosted its first American Cancer Society Relay for Life to raise money for cancer research. Participants paid a $10 registration fee to sign up. Students raised $11,000 before the relay began.

Both Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University have organized ACS relays before. Although the event at Pitt was on a smaller scale, its coordinators hope that it will grow in the coming years.

“Everyone has worked so hard to get it started here,” said Shanna Salleman, ACS liaison. “The committee putting it together has been working on this since the fall.”

The hard work was evident. Everything from the large tents holding refreshments and entertainment to the welcome signs pitch-forked in the soil helped create the celebratory mood that lasted throughout the race.

The 16-hour event included team laps around the lawn, three-legged races, a survivor’s banquet, band performances and yoga.

Although the light atmosphere was highlighted by the Frisbee and soccer games played on the field, the greater purpose of the relay was very much on the minds of the participants.

“My grandfather passed away a few years ago,” said Kanika Gupta, Pitt junior and Relay for Life Pitt program chair. “That’s my reason for doing this, my reason for being here.”

Gupta and her programming committee want to start a College Against Cancer student group in the 2008-09 school year.

The group will continue the tradition of Relay for Life and promote other events that generate awareness and raise funds for cancer research.

As the 200 participants got settled, Shaun Tomaszewski, program co-chair and Pitt junior, officially kicked off the event with the survivors’ lap.

An eager group of participants gathered by the Fifth Avenue side of the Cathedral to cheer on the five cancer survivors who prepared to take their lap.

The women walked down Fifth Avenue, up Bellefield and back down. When they came close to the finish line, a group of students formed hand bridges for the ladies to walk under. The chants, cheers and applause sliced through the growl of the rush hour traffic.

“Good job, Grandma,” said a rosy-cheeked little boy as he ran to greet his survivor.

The team laps began soon after and continued through the night. On the field, participants tossed around the Frisbee and ran sack races while vendors sold baked goods.

The weather grew colder, and the team from business honors society Delta Sigma Pi responded by lighting up its grill.

When the sun set, the entertainment began. One of the bands that performed, The Takeover UK, was contacted via myspace.com by program coordinator Gupta.

Drummer Josh Sickels said he was thrilled to be a part of the event because it was for a good cause and offered free publicity.

During the wee hours of the night, several participants stripped down to their shorts and T-shirts while the rain poured.

The muddy field was no match for them, but it was enough to send a few weary supporters packing for the night. Those who stayed enjoyed five-legged races, mud sliding and a performance by Pitt Honors College band, The Puppies!, who dressed up as Super Mario Brothers characters.

In the morning, the groups remaining were treated to a yoga session taught by Pitt student Sony Rane and breakfast catered by Sodexho and Giant Eagle. The exhausted participants packed up their tents and gathered their belongings before the “Fight back” ceremony began.

Flags were planted on the field in front of the main tent representing those who had lost the battle to cancer.

During the ceremony each participant was asked to make pledges to do something to help fight back against cancer, such as getting mammograms, urging parents to get frequent check-ups and writing to state representatives to ban smoking in restaurants.

“Eighty-some years ago when ACS was founded, a diagnosis of cancer was considered a death sentence,” said Renee Aldrich, cancer control specialist for ACS. “Today we have begun to turn the tide. We will take it head on and fight back.”

Student supporters signed a large banner that will hang in a cancer center in Harrisburg, Pa., before awards for raising the most money were handed out.

The top fund-raising amounts were $3,400 and $635 by the Resident Student Association team and Pitt freshman Alexa Jennings, respectively. The event raised over $13,000 total.

The Pitt diving team was also recognized for registering for the relay a week prior and for raising $1,000.

“A lot of the kids on our team have family with cancer, so they were very helpful,” Pitt sophomore Beth Newel said.

After the awards ceremony, each remaining participant took a flag from the memorial site and walked the last relay lap of the event as U2’s “Walk On” played over the speakers.