Relay For Life at Koehler Fieldhouse

From left to right: Jessyca Ligh. Melanie Tone, and Marcus Beasley.
Photo Credit / Jamie Reese
From left to right: Jessyca Ligh. Melanie Tone, and Marcus Beasley.
Photo Credit / Jamie Reese

BY JAMIE REESE

ASST. NEWS EDITOR

 

On April 19, ESU hosted Relay for Life at Koehler Fieldhouse.  The event raised money to support the American Cancer Society.

According to Jessyca Ligh, President of Colleges Against Cancer and event chair of ESU Relay, fourteen teams participated and raised around twelve thousand dollars.

“We started working on Relay in January,” said Ligh. Those four months of work culminated in a night filled with mechanical bull riding, an inflatable wrecking ball, carnival games, basket raffles, face painting, dodge ball, food, music, and more.

The event was dedicated to Kathy Moses, guest speaker at last year’s event, and wife to Robert Moses, ESU’s director of residence life and housing.

Kathy Moses passed away last month. She had been fighting cancer for twenty eight months.

“I knew Kathy through Relay,” said Alex Nyman, Station Manager of WESS 90.3. “She was very vibrant – very full of life; I wish I could have gotten to know her better.”

This year’s speaker was Melanie Tone, a breast cancer survivor.

“I’ve known Melanie for thirteen years,” said Lisa Ligh, mother of Jessyca Ligh. “Melanie is so positive and so funny. She just wouldn’t let it rob her joy. She wants to share with people what they can do to never give up.”

After Melanie spoke, the event began with the survivor walk, during which cancer survivors walked a lap. Participants gathered around the track and cheered them on.

Teams followed the survivors, and one or more members were requested to walk the track at all times throughout the night.

Other team members were able to participate in fundraising activities which included scheduled events and stations.

Each team set up a table with a particular fundraiser, which included food, snow cones, and beads that could be used to mark each lap walked.

After the event began, Relay hosted a hula hoop competition.

Later, Relay held the Luminaria Ceremony. During this event, everyone gathered and paid homage to cancer victims.

Anyone could donate ten dollars to have a luminaria lit in memory of someone he or she knew.

The next morning, teams participated in the cake walk.

“The cake walk is similar to musical chairs, except everyone wins and takes home a cake,” said Jessyca.

Shortly after the cake walk, teams were recognized for contributions in a closing ceremony.

“I think Relay went very well,” said Jessyca. “There were little things we could improve upon, such as getting more volunteers and more public relations.”

“We will start planning again in September,” said Jessyca. “We want next year to be even better.”

People interested in starting a team for next year’s event can sign up online at www.relayforlife.org/ at the beginning of the fall semester.

Those people interested in joining the planning committee should contact Jessyca Ligh at jcl1669@live.esu.edu

 

Email Jamie at:

jreese6@live.esu.edu