Colleges Against Cancer fights to end the disease

The Colleges Against Cancer Relay for Life event in 2018. Photo courtesy of Anna Neuman.

The Colleges Against Cancer club is working to help fund cancer research and ultimately find a way to end the disease.

“Every single person is affected by cancer,” Anna Neuman, the co-vice president of Colleges Against Cancer said.

Neuman lost her mom to cancer when she was nine, and joined the club in order to bring more awareness to the cause.

Lauren McDonald, the co-president of Colleges Against Cancer, has been a member of the club for three years. After losing her mom to cancer in 2015, she became passionate about the cause and joined Colleges Against Cancer after transferring to UMD.

“Every single person knows someone who has had or has passed away from cancer and we need to bring more awareness to this and help eradicate it,” Neuman said.

Last year’s Relay for Life. Photo courtesy of Anna Neuman.

The main purpose of the club is to fundraise for the American Cancer Society. The club hosts a multitude of fundraising events, such as bake sales throughout the year, “Bowling for Boobies” in the fall and “Relay for Life” in the spring.

This year’s Relay for Life is happening in the UMD fieldhouse on April 5 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., and is an event for survivors and supporters to walk around the track throughout the night to fundraise and show solidarity for the cause.

Participants create teams to raise money for the event. The club’s goal this year is to raise $12,000. Last year, the club raised $10,000 during Relay for Life. Participants can register on the Relay for Life website, but the event is open to all.

Ceremonies are held for those who have passed at the Colleges Against Cancer’s Relay for Life event. Photo Courtesy of Anna Neuman.

“Somebody is always walking around the track to signify that cancer never sleeps,” Neuman said.

Ceremonies are held throughout the night to honor the survivors and those who have passed, such as “Balloons to Heaven,” which entails blowing up balloons and including messages, and lighting the track with glow sticks and other materials.

The theme of Relay for Life this year is carnival, and the event will feature carnival games with prizes and food.

“It’s a time for us to honor survivors and those who are battling cancer, or those that we have lost,” McDonald said.

The Colleges Against Cancer club meets every thursday at 7 p.m. in the Split Rock room across from UMD Dining Center. For more information or to get in contact with the club, check out their Bulldog Link page.