Burlington's Relay for Life looks for increased awareness from Elon students

In 1985, a Tacoma colorectal surgeon ran all day and night to raise money to fight cancer. The run spawned the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Currently, there are relays across the United States, all with the goal to procure funds for cancer treatment and research.

This year’s local relay will be held at the Burlington City Recreation and Park May 18. The event offers opportunities for people to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer and generate money to put towards cancer technology and treatments.  A typical relay consists of an overnight relay-style event where teams camp out around a track. For the duration of the event, members of the teams take turns walking around the track while people eat food, play games and participate in activities. The event is open to anyone from the community.

Gabrielle Bell, a junior at Elon University, is an intern at this year’s event. She said the Elon community is proactive in pre-event marketing and fundraising. This is an important effort because most Elon University students are not aware of the event, Bell said.First-year student Dylan Brock said he was not aware of any participants and did not know what the event entailed. Bell and the relay staffers are trying to further inform Elon students and community members who, like Brock, may not have been exposed to the event before.

“This year’s relay held a fundraiser at Fat Frogg in steps towards the bigger event of the relay, and Elon Elementary is raising money to donate to the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life,” Bell said.

Bell learned of the internship through searching the Elon Job Network. She said the position incorporates some elements of her business major.

So far, 1,166 participants, 99 teams and $95,797 have been raised in advance of the Burlington relay, according to the fundraising chart devoted to the event on the American Cancer Society’s website. Bell said the participants are striving to raise even more funds to fight cancer.

During the first Relay for Life, surgeon Gordy Klatt was flocked by family and friends and co-workers as he circled the track at the University of Puget Sound. When the 24 hours had passed, Klatt — a marathon runner — had exceeded 83 miles of running and raised $27,000 to combat cancer.