Students Relay Again to Fight Cancer

More than 30 different teams and 200 students from both Rockhurst University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City once again walked through the night Saturday as part of the annual Relay for Life.

It’s the sixth time that student from the two schools have worked together to host the all-night event, which is part of the American Cancer Society’s international network of fundraisers that together raise hundreds of millions of dollars each year for cancer research and ACS. This year, residents of Raytown, Missouri, and teams from Rockhurst High School also participated alongside the Rockhurst-UMKC students.

According to Rockhurst senior Katie Survillo, the public relations chair for the Relay for Life committee, organizers were eager to build off of the momentum created around the relay on campus the last couple of years.

The relay raised more than $71,000, blowing past its goal of $60,000. The total earned the organizers recognition from the National Campus Relay for Life for per capita giving and for the outstanding fundraising efforts of one of the event’s teams, #Hawknation.

“Last year was a really big year for us,” Survillo said. “Getting recognized nationally was a  huge moment.”

Though some of the leaders from past years have graduated, she said there are plenty of stories and personal experiences with cancer that continue to motivate student teams. For members of Pi Kappa Alpha, in particular, part of that motivation is the loss of one of their members, Cody Schuler, in November 2014. This year, the sorority Gamma Phi Beta rallied for one of their members, whose sister is currently battling cancer.

Kori Hines, the relay’s co-chair and a Rockhurst freshman who is in remission after undergoing a cord blood stem cell transplant to fight acute myeloid leukemia in high school, said she knew she wanted to help with the University’s relay when she decided to come to Rockhurst.

“It was another way to get involved and help fight this disease that affects so many people and families,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about ending cancer.”

For all of the activities during the relay, the work that goes into planning the event and the accolades the relay has earned, Survillo said the sobering statistics of cancer is really what continues to power the enthusiasm of the organizers and those who participate — as many as one in two men and one in three women will receive a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lifetime, she said. Using those numbers, she said as many as 800 students at Rockhurst alone will receive a diagnosis at some point in their lives.

“The momentum is growing on campus,” she said. “Once you’ve been a part of relay, you know what it’s about and why we’re so active.”