By Eddie Mikus

Colleges Against Cancer conducted its annual Relay For Life on April 18 to raise funds for cancer research. The event raised $26,000, according to Delia Brengel, a member of the Fordham Relay Committee.

During the event, groups of students walked around the perimeter of Edward’s Parade. Additionally, the group arranged for several musical acts to take place on the Keating Hall steps, and placed some carnival games on the field itself. Paper bag lanterns memorializing those who have experienced cancer were placed along the outside edge of the field.

Christina Giglio, FCRH ’15, co-president of Fordham’s Colleges Against Cancer chapter, described the event’s main purpose in an email message to The Fordham Ram.

“Our main goal was to fundraise as much as we could for the American Cancer Society,” Giglio said. “Not only did we want to raise money for the American Cancer Society, but we wanted to inform people about the disease and where exactly the money that we raise goes. I believe that we did those things.”

Giglio said that her favorite part of the event was a ceremony to honor cancer survivors.

“Along with the previous stated, one of the most amazing parts of the event is the Luminaria Ceremony,” Giglio said. “This ceremony is when we remember people we have lost to cancer, honor people who have fought cancer in the past, and support those whose fight continues. It is the most touching part of the entire event.”

DiReda, secretary of Colleges Against Cancer, spoke about some of the organization’s fundraising goals for Relay for Life.

“I’ve participated for the past four years,” DiReda said. “My freshman year was pretty successful. I think we raised between $30,000 and $40,000, and that is what our goal has been the past four years, between $30,00 and $40,000. We usually get a big chunk of our donations on the day of Relay, because that’s when it’s down to the wire. Everyone’s here, everyone’s donating, we charge for different things as donations.”

Both Giglio and DiReda cited family members with cancer as inspirations for their participation in Relay For Life.

“I joined Relay For Life about 10 years ago, because I wanted to try and be part of fighting the awful disease,” Giglio said. “In years that followed, I found out that my aunt and uncle were both fighting cancer and it was the push I needed to fight harder and stronger so that no one else needed to hear the words ‘you have cancer.’”

“I was inspired by my grandparents,” DiReda said when asked why she had joined Relay For Life. “One of my grandma’s passed away from cancer before I was born and my grandpa recently, during my sophomore year, passed away from cancer, and that just made me decide to push myself harder and take an active role in Colleges Against Cancer.”