When I was 16 years old, something killed my dad. I never got to celebrate with him when I finally became an adult. He was never able to move me into college on my first day at Bradley. He won’t be there to walk me down the aisle at my wedding. Cancer killed my dad, and now we have to kill cancer, because every day, this universal demon attacks those we care about.
But how many of us actually join the war against this unruly disease?
Fighting cancer is hard. It requires time, money and research. However, oftentimes cancer fundraising efforts on campus go unnoticed.
As a chair for the Relay for Life event at Bradley, an annual event that raises money for the American Cancer Society, I see that many students don’t even know that Bradley has their own Relay for Life, or that it was hosted just last month.
This is part of the reason why every year, free food and good prizes at the event don’t cut it. The bribery fails, and only a few dozen people actually attend.
Would I have been passionate for fundraising if I didn’t lose my dad? Probably not. Sure, I would have donated spare change here and there, but I wouldn’t have had the same drive as I do today.
That’s the problem: passion requires time and experience. An idea has to be close enough to your heart that you choose to make time for it. But when it comes to fundraising for cancer, the student body is struggling to find their passion. Events like Relay for Life go unnoticed, and fundraising is minimal.
Yes, Relay for Life could have done more advertising for the event, but every year, the executive board struggles to connect with students. For example, students had the opportunity to order anti-cancer T-shirts and pick them up at the event.
However, a vast majority of people who purchased T-shirts and knew about the event never even showed up, not even just for a minute to pick up their shirt.
Instead of waiting for campus organizations to throw events and fundraisers in your face, turn your care for your friends and family affected by cancer into a drive to search for your own opportunities.
Spending just ten minutes a day raising a few dollars or stopping by an event doesn’t require much effort. This can be as simple as asking your neighbors to donate, or even just posting your cause on social media. Imagine the difference organizations like the American Cancer Society would see every day if everyone fought cancer.
When we lose someone we love, we often promise that they will never be forgotten. Fight for those you know who have battled cancer, whether they won or lost that long, hard fight.
Build your passion based on the promise that you won’t let this disease get away with hurting anyone else. Cancer will keep fighting for the rest of time, but it’s up to us to keep fighting back.
