Paige Harasha Helps Organize Relay for Life at Marquette University

2012 Apr 26

Paige Harasha, a senior student at Marquette University studying physiological sciences from Fond Du Lac, Wis., will participate in Marquette's Relay for Life celebration Saturday, April 28, at 6 p.m. Relay for Life is an overnight relay-style walk that gives communities a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and fight back against the disease.

Relay for Life at Marquette is organized annually by the university's chapter of Colleges Against Cancer, a nationwide collaboration of college students, faculty and staff dedicated to eliminating cancer by initiating and supporting programs of the American Cancer Society in college communities. Harasha is a member of the group's executive board at Marquette.

This year's Relay for Life will engage participants in a variety of events related to the theme, "The Game of LIFE – Conquering One Milestone at a Time." The opening ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. and will feature speeches by a cancer survivor and a cancer patient caregiver. Other features include performances by two campus dance groups, themed laps and a luminaria ceremony, where white luminaria bags personalized with the name, photo, message or drawing in memory or honor of someone who has been affected by cancer, are illuminated after dark. Activities celebrating the lives of those affected by cancer will take place throughout the night until 6 a.m. on Sunday, April 29.

"Our philosophy is that every dollar counts and we know that the work we do is making a difference. Survival rates are only increasing. Even though there is not a foolproof cure for cancer, education that has led to early detection is saving lives," said Leah Justison, president of Colleges Against Cancer at Marquette University.

Sixty-eight teams consisting of 584 individuals will participate in this year's Relay for Life. In 2011, the event raised approximately $54,000 for the American Cancer Society. For more information on Relay for Life and how to donate, visit www.relayforlife.org/wearemarquette.