Student-Athletes To Participate in Relay for Life
4/14/2011 12:00:00 AM | General
April 14, 2011
East Lansing, Mich. - Nearly 80 Michigan State student-athletes will be participating in the Relay for Life at MSU's Ralph Young Field on Friday and Saturday (April 15-16). Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's signature fundraising event. While thousands of Relays take place nationwide each year, The Relay For Life of Michigan State is the fourth highest-fundraising collegiate Relay in the country.
2010 Relay for Life video recap
This overnight event is designed to celebrate those who are fighting cancer and remember those who have lost their courageous battles. The MSU student-athletes are one of 91 groups registered for this weekend's events. More than half of MSU's varsity athletics teams will be represented at this event, with nearly 80 student- athletes committed to walk at least one shift in the 14-hour Relay. The evening begins at 6 p.m., and at 7 p.m. is the "Survivor Lap" - where cancer survivors lead the way around the track while being honored and applauded by all participants. Being a part of the Survivors Lap allows survivors to celebrate what they've overcome while inspiring and motivating their community to fight. Survivors are proof that cancer can be defeated.
One of the most powerful and moving displays during last year's Survivor Lap was the participation of football player Arthur Ray, who has fought a battle with Osteosarcoma since 2007. After multiple surgeries, Ray has been declared cancer-free and recently joined the Spartans for on-field practice. His remarkable journey from battling cancer to playing football provides a universal, inspiring message of the perseverance and determination of the human spirit. He is serving as one of MSU's three team captains for this year's Relay for Life; the other two are Brooke Sauchak (swimming & diving) and AJ Sturges (hockey)
The team of MSU student-athletes have already raised more than $2,000 - double their fundraising total from a year ago - and will continue to solicit donations for the American Cancer Society throughout the weekend. Spearheaded through the Athletic Department's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the MSU student-athletes team will walk from 6 p.m. Friday through 9 a.m. Saturday morning. This is the second consecutive year that the student-athletes will participate as one united team.
The Student-Athlete team will create a mural of "I relay for..." cards that list who each of the student-athlete participants will be "relaying" for.
Players Mentioned
