Spring means many things. For some, spring is planting and cleaning. For others, spring is sports or the beginning of the end of school. For me, spring means Relay for Life. Relay for Life is an event in which you stay overnight on your school field (6pm-6am). You make a team of 10-15 people and all raise as much money as you can over the course of a few months. All of this money goes to the American Cancer Society, an amazing organization that helps cancer awareness and research. One of the many reasons why this event is so phenomenal is because the money raised goes towards every type of cancer care, no matter type of cancer, age, gender, or demographic. Cancer is something that affects nearly everyone, and having an event such as Relay for Life is a way to finish this brutal fight against cancer.

About a year ago, February of 2014, I went on a whim and decided to join a team for the Relay for Life event at my high school. I was joining solely due to the fact that it seemed fun, plus it was the perfect emblem to display on my résumé. Not until after joining a team did I realize what Relay for Life was truly about; it was not simply a social event used to get into college or to pull an all nighter with friends. Relay is a huge fundraiser benefitting survivors, victims, and families affected by cancer. This realization hit a certain chord with me. It opened my eyes to how much I wanted to make a difference for mother, fathers, children, and friends affected by this terrible disease. I strived to help this cause, and not just in a tiny way. After thinking long and hard about what I could do, I decided to start out small. I started raising money in the most simple way I could think of: sending out a mass e-mail. In this e-mail, I wrote about what Relay meant to me, and what it could mean for everybody receiving the e-mail. Everyone is affected by cancer in some way, so I knew that it was a universal cause. My e-mail encouraged my friends and family to forward it to their friends and family, and through this simple request, it really got around. After a few short weeks of good-hearted fundraising, I was honored to attend the event with a total of $5,900 raised. My goal prior to the event had been a measly $100. The awe and gratitude I felt was unreal. The sense of knowing I had made a real impact on this phenomenal cause is easily one of the best feelings I have ever experienced.

This year I was able to take my passion for Relay even further. I decided to form a team of my own. Taking on this responsibility was something I had been looking forward to doing ever since I received my first donation last year. I rounded up my friends, all of whom were as excited about raising money as I was, and created my team. I sent out another mass e-mail and encouraged my team to send out e-mails raising awareness and money for American Cancer Society. Because of my team’s passion and teamwork my team attended the 2015 Relay for Life event with a whopping total of $16,237 raised. I could not be more proud of my friends and I for making this mark in the battle against cancer.

In the span of only two short years, I have found something that I have a burning passion for as well as something that can help me change the world. It is truly amazing seeing that spending 10 minutes composing and sending an e-mail out can change hundreds of lives. Through this event and many others, we can be the generation that finds a cure to cancer. Hopefully, through raising money and awareness at events such as Relay for Life, we can put an end to this lethal killer. One day, we will not have to tell our children or grandchildren about this deadly disease, for all of our hard work will have found us a cure. Even a dollar can make a difference in this battle against cancer.
If your school does not yet participate in Relay for Life, I highly recommend starting it up. You will not regret it. Relay for Life is a way to have fun while changing someone’s life. Cancer is a disease that needs awareness and fundraising, and through events like these we are able to achieve this. Relay for Life is an amazing event for an even more amazing cause.