Students Prepare to Pull All-Nighter for Cancer

From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday night, students will be walking laps at Farley Field House. The annual Relay for Life, put on each year by students, has raised just under half a million dollars since 2006 for the American Cancer Society.

This year, Selena Lorrey ’16, Lily Ramin ’17 and Parker Mundt ’16 are organizing the event. Mundt said he’s been involved with putting on Relay for Life since he was a first year at Bowdoin. “I like the event so much because it’s a combination of a serious cause and fun,” he said.

Throughout the night, participants will be treated to live music, a hypnotist, music and food. They will also be invited to do a “survivor walk,” if they have had the disease, and participate in a “luminaria ceremony” with candles to remember loved ones who have died from the disease.

The goal is to bring the college and community together to help raise money for cancer research and patient care, Mundt said. The relay is a 12-hour, overnight event, and Mundt acknowledges that by 2 a.m., a lot of people are pretty tired. “At 4 a.m., we give out Frosty’s Donuts. When you make it to that point, you might as well keep walking!” he said.

While the majority of participants are students, staff, faculty and community members also get involved. Bowdoin’s housekeeping team, Angels for Hope, is typically one of the most successful teams at raising money. So far this year, Baxter House is ahead with $2,345 raised. In total, the 21 teams and 132 participants registered have raised $9,383.

More information about the event can be found here. Walk-in registrations on Friday are also welcome.