Shepherd to host 10th annual Relay for Life

ISSUED: 26 January 2012
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
(Shepherd to host 10th annual Relay for Life)

Shepherdstown, WV--Shepherd University is preparing for the 10th annual Relay for Life. This year's event will be held on Friday, March 30 at the Wellness Center.

This year's theme for Relay for Life is "I Believe ..." to coincide with Shepherd's Common Reading program selection, Jay Allison's "This I Believe."

Rachel Crum, AmeriCorps VISTA community service coordinator, said that organizers plan to have committee chairs, survivors, and participants share their personal "I Believe" statements at the this year's Relay for Life and are also starting a collection from the Shepherd community of cancer survivors.

This year's fundraising goal for the American Cancer Society is $80,000. So far, $6,288 has been raised.

Since 2003, Shepherd's Relay for Life has raised $429,631 and has brought students and community members together each spring to raise money for cancer research.

"Coming back and helping plan this year's Relay is exciting," said Crum. "When I was a senior, I was the chair of the event. So just to see how it's grown and had to modify to what it is now is exciting. Becoming an indoor event is probably the coolest thing we've done since we've started. It's either freezing or raining and everyone has to be so flexible. It's exciting to take all that out of the equation and see what we can really do."

Team captains are meeting each Wednesday leading up to Relay for Life at 4 p.m., with the exception of midterm week and spring break recess, in the Rumsey Gallery in the Student Center.

Upcoming fundraisers include a Valentine's Day spaghetti dinner at Christ Reformed Church, 304 East German Street, Shepherdstown, from 5:30-8 p.m.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Martinsburg will be hosting a fundraiser on February 18 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Chick-fil-a in Ranson will host a fundraiser on February 10 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

To date, 197 participants and 41 teams have registered for this year's event. Those interested in participating in this year's event can register online at www.shepherd.edu/relayforlife.

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Krystyna Lee Smith, a seven year old cancer survivor, is pictured with her grandmother, Teri Flora, a staff member at Shepherd. Krystyna lit last year's torch symbolizing the start of Shepherd's 2011 Relay for Life.