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Students begin search for Relay for Life teams

Anteing up for yet another year, Bradley’s Relay for Life is going all out to make sure this year’s event suits its Casino theme.
“Play your cards right! Join the Fight!” is the theme for the fifth annual Relay for Life event, which kicks off Feb. 24. The actual event will take place May 1 and 2.
Senior actuarial science and Spanish major Emily Gunty and sophomore social work major Annie Azerial are co-chairs for one of Bradley’s largest annual fundraiser.
Gunty said she hopes the kickoff event will get the ball rolling on what she hopes is going to be a big year for Relay.
“Right now, we are doing pretty average on our team sign up for the place we are at,” she said. “We have 14 groups signed up the last I checked, and we are hoping for 41 teams total. On average, we have anywhere between 35 and 50, so at this point, we are in good shape.”
Gunty said members of the Relay for Life committee will be outside Bradley Hall and in the Michel Student Center, as well as in the cafeterias on Feb. 24 to sign up teams and sell luminaries for the event.
The cost of entry is $10 per team member, with a cap of 15 members per team. Luminaries are sold to remember those who have battled cancer and can be purchased for $5.
At Relay for Life, teams raise money to go to the American Cancer Society in order to educate, advocate and research cancer awareness and cures. Through donations, teams compete to raise the most money at their specific event.
With Relays held in hundreds of cities across the nation, the money raised at the events can go a long way.
“This is the biggest fundraiser for the American Cancer Society,” Gunty said. “It’s great to know that the work we are doing is going to support such a great cause in order to enlighten people and get them aware of the risks of cancer.”
Last year’s Relay event raised roughly $36,000 dollars, topping previous amounts ranging from $25,000 to $30,000. This year, Gunty said the group hopes to raise $36,750.
The event will take place on Olin Quad or in the Markin Family Student Recreation Center depending on weather. It’s going to be full of what Gunty called usual events, but with some added themed twists.
“We are going to have the Edge broadcast for us, possibly a performance by Hipnotiq as well as our luminary ceremony and survivor lap,” she said. “However, we are also going to show the movie ‘21’ and hold blackjack and poker tournaments to go along with the casino theme.”
In addition, the group plans on having themed laps for the event, scavenger hunts and live music.
“This is a good way for college students, people our age, to get involved and make a difference in something that has affected so many of us,” Gunty said. “It’s great to know that we are helping a great cause and at the same time spend the time with our friends and celebrate life and why we are all here.”
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