When sophomore Keely Collins was 13, her life changed forever. Her mom was diagnosed with peritoneal cancer, a rare type of terminal stomach. With little research, the doctors were unable to treat it and she died later that year.
Collins was devastated. She had lost her rock, her best friend.
But instead of remaining angry and sad, Collins put her emotion into something positive by doing Relay for Life and joining Colleges Against Cancer as part of the Survivor Relations Committee.
“I saw cancer as something very negative — the sad side of it,” Collins said. “But these women and men who come and talk, they’re so positive about it. It showed me another side of fighting cancer that I wasn’t able to see when I was 13.”
As part of the committee, Collins works with students, faculty and family members of cancer survivors and plans a dinner with them before Relay to discuss when they’ll speak during the event. Speaking with these survivors has given her a different take on the fight against cancer.
The event will occur from 6 p.m.-6 a.m. April 22-23 at Francis Center Field.
Originally, it was difficult for Collins to open up and talk about what happened. But once she did, she found it bettered herself and others by raising awareness.
“It’s a hard thing to talk about. It took me a long time to be okay to talk about what happened to my mom,” Collins said. “But the second it did, it made me okay with it and made me want to help others going through a similar thing.”
This awareness, brought by learning more about Relay, is what prompted Collins to participate. Though the event does raise money, Collins finds that it is the conversation that makes a difference. Survivor and caregiver stories bring more awareness and allow people to make more personal connections than pamphlets or reading articles can, and through Relay more people have a chance to see how their actions are helping those in need.
In addition to Relay, Colleges Against Cancer holds smaller events throughout the year such as Paint the Campus Purple and Acoustic for the Cure. These events don’t only serve to raise money — also aim to constantly get students to begin thinking about Relay before the event in the spring.
Hosting Relay and other events, gets people to ask questions about the disease by learning more about the different types of and treatments for cancer.
“So many people have been touched by cancer. So many people are still touched by cancer,” Collins said. “Even if you weren’t, you know someone that was. It gets the conversation started and gets you to meet more people.”
Collins will be bringing her own experience with cancer full-circle by creating luminaries in memory of her mom. Last year, she had help from her roommates, which really made Collins feel the power of the event.
“There’s nothing else like it on campus,” Collins said.
Sophomore Ali Leroy has been involved with Relay for the past 11 years when her sister helped start it in her hometown. Though no one in her immediate family has been affected by cancer, she has seen it touch so many people.
“I have so many connections to it — whether it’s my relatives or my friends’ relatives or a good acquaintance in my town,” Leroy said. “I just know way too many people that are affected by cancer that it drove me to get involved in high school and pursue my passion for it by raising awareness for it.”
Leroy’s favorite part of Relay is the attention it brings to the American Cancer Society as well as the message it sends by representing the fight against cancer.
Teams spend the entire night walking the track around the PT center to stand in solidarity cancer patients undergoing rigorous treatment. Once this connection is made, it makes the cause so much stronger.
“Obviously, the battle is so much harder, but to have a metaphor for it and put it a little into perspective, I think it’s so great because that’s when people realize this is where the money’s going to,” Leroy said. “This is what all my effort is going to.”
Leroy is part of the Fundraising Committee for Colleges Against Cancer and helps manage profit shares and other fundraising events. Though all aspects of the organization are important to her, Leroy finds that the total amount of money raised shows people the change that is happening.
Colleges Against Cancer and Relay are relatively new on campus, yet there is growth in terms of awareness and money raised each year. Leroy finds that it speaks to the Elon community and how even though most students are busy, they still make time to show they care.
To raise money, both Leroy and Collins will blast family and friends with emails asking for donations as well as creating Facebook posts linking to their donation pages. Leroy believes if you don’t ask, you won’t receive, which is why she will even ask “broke college kids” to donate a little.
“I ask, ‘Would you mind donating $2, because in the end, $2 helps more than anything,” Leroy said. “And I find that, that extra effort brings me so much farther because people are like, ‘Oh yeah $2 and its for a great cause,’”
With a strong message and more money, all participants look toward their end goal — an end to cancer.
“Though my story ended fast with my mom, that allowed me to continue on and hope that it doesn’t happen for someone else,” Collins said. “That’s the goal—to make sure it is cured one day. That’s all I can believe right now, is that one-day it will be cured.”