Students find inspiration in URI Relay For Life, raise money for cancer research

04/04/08 - The American Cancer Society predicts that more than 1.4 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in 2008. It is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, second only to heart disease.These statistics are an indication that most people will be affected by cancer at some point, whether through friends, relatives or firsthand experience.

This is the reason that more than 300 members of the University of Rhode Island community are participating in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life fundraiser tonight at 6 p.m.

Sophomore Andrew O'Brien, one of the students participating in the event, said the relay is especially important to him because he was diagnosed with cancer during his senior year of high school.

"I was a high school football player, just a normal kid, but I ended up spending the last six months of my senior year in and out of the hospital," O'Brien said.

Throughout cycles of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, O'Brien maintained a positive outlook, focusing only on overcoming the disease.

"I always looked at it as more of a task," he said. "I never saw it as a sickness. It was something I needed to get done."

O'Brien has participated in Relay for Life for the past two years, although a friend ran for him three years ago when O'Brien was too sick to participate.

O'Brien has been cancer-free since May 2007. He said the relay is inspirational in the way it unifies people, creating opportunities for dialogue and support systems.

"Everyone knows someone with cancer, but we rarely talk to each other about it and so we don't realize who we know who knows someone with cancer," he said. "This idea that cancer is this issue that you can't talk about is something that needs to stop."

O'Brien said he hopes to see a good turnout this year and encourages students who are not participating to stop by and cheer on the teams.

"It's a lot more than raising money," he said. "We're spreading awareness and it's a lot of fun too. We're infusing fun into an issue that's really not fun, and giving people a place to tell their stories and deal with the issue."

Ryan Shevis is another Relay for Life participant who has been affected by cancer.

Shevis' grandmother has been diagnosed with four different types of cancer, and his grandfather was recently diagnosed with a serious terminal cancer.

"It's been really tough on me," Shevis, a senior, said. "I try to stay busy when I'm here at school, but it's still a lot to deal with."

Shevis, who is participating in the relay for the first time, said he has received tremendous support from members of the Greek system, particularly his fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau.

He hopes the relay will strengthen his support system on campus and allow him to support others.

"Going to the relay will let me meet a lot of people who actually care," he said. "And it's a chance to get out and talk to people and show them that you care."

For Shevis, Relay for Life is more than a fundraiser; it is an effort to show constructive concern and attention to an issue that affects him and so many around him.

"I really think actions speak louder than words, and this is a way to go out and actually do something," he said.

Brendan Heyck, who manages marketing for Relay for Life at URI, said he is pleased with the number of members of the URI community who are participating, forming a total of 50 teams.

While he is unsure of the exact amount that will be raised, he is expecting around $15,000 to $20,000 based on current pledges. Heyck said he is anticipating more donations to be made on the day of the relay.

He added that the relay will retain the ceremonial nature it has had in past years, beginning with a speech from members of the American Cancer Society and the first lap, or Survivor Lap, led by cancer survivors.

Participants can also make a donation to light a candle and place it in a lantern during the Luminaria Ceremony. The lanterns will be displayed throughout the relay.

Heyck said the mood of the event will progress from a serious note to becoming gradually more upbeat.

"It's really two-fold," Heyck, a senior, said. "It starts off somber as we remember the people who are struggling with cancer, and others who we have lost to cancer and then we celebrate those who have beat it."

Heyck said he is inspired to see so many people from URI join together for the event.

"The whole community really gets involved for a good cause," Heyck said.