Students and local residents were brought to tears in a darkened Events Center during Friday night’s luminaria ceremony at Binghamton University’s fourth annual Relay for Life.
This year’s Relay was dedicated to the memory of former BU senior Chad Baltuck, who lost his battle to cancer in November. The lights were dimmed in remembrance of Baltuck and other victims of the disease.
“The luminaria ceremony was absolutely beautiful, and I could not have envisioned a more perfect way to honor Chad’s memory,” said Jenna Sykoff, a senior English and business major who spoke in honor of Baltuck at the event. “The image of all the students gathered around the luminaria bags watching the slide show is something that I will never forget.”
More than 1,900 participants from 155 teams raised at least $74,000 for the overnight fundraising event, which lasted from 5 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Saturday. Relay for Life is a fundraiser sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Its purpose is to spread cancer awareness and raise money for research.
Activities included performances by the University’s Pep Band, the Circus Arts Association and the Ms. Relay 2008 contest. There were also fundraising booths where people could get henna tattoos, get team pictures taken and buy Monster energy drinks.
Chris Harnick, a junior journalism and popular culture (individualized) major and co-chair of the event said that more money is expected to come in over the next few months.
Hiliary Humble, senior director of college events for the American Cancer Society, said the last three Relay events at BU have collectively raised more than $265,000 — more than any other SUNY school.
“We’re a little bit down in number [this year],” said Humble, who has worked on the event since it began at the school in 2005. “But it’s still a great turnout.”
Harnick and his co-chair, Noreen Chambers, both said they felt that the event went well.
“It was all thanks to the hard work of the Relay committee, the student groups who stepped up by providing entertainment and all of the participants,” said Chambers, a junior history and philosophy, politics and law major.
Both Harnick and Chambers emphasized the importance of student group participation.
According to Harnick, many teams even held their own fundraisers at the event, with some raising more than $200 each for the charity.
But it wasn’t just large groups that made a difference. BU freshman Candice Geller raised more than $2,000 herself and is listed as the top fundraiser on the event’s Web site.
Geller, a business major, said that she relayed in memory of her father and in honor of her mother.
“The effects of cancer are absolutely devastating,” said Geller, who lost her father to pancreatic and liver cancer when she was 12. “I want to do anything I can to make sure that no one has to go through the hard times that I did. I see Relay as a way to do that.”
Geller also praised the efforts of the Relay for Life’s committee for its success. She said she plans to continue participating in the event every year.
Other students at the event echoed Geller’s sentiments.
Juniors Dustin Lynch and Nixon Saget II, both Hinman residents, said that they relayed for all of the cancer patients who are no longer here.
Entertainment co-chair for the event Jennifer Johnston described Relay for Life as one of the most important events on campus.
“Everyone knows someone whose life has been affected by cancer,” Johnston said. “It’s so amazing to see how the event evolves and gets better each year.”
Johnston said that the event’s benefits go beyond the monetary efforts.
“I would recommend joining the committee to anyone who wants to support such an important cause while meeting great new people and knowing that you are making a difference in people’s lives,” she added.