Under the shadow of a towering stage set up in the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center, a crowd of students gathered on the gym floor, setting up tents and chatting over food and drink.
Nearly 500 participants gathered last Friday night for the annual Relay for Life, an event that raises awareness of cancer and money for the American Cancer Society.
The event raised $59,284, according to Margaret Watson '11, one of the Relay's three chief organizers and a Herald senior business associate. The total is a slight drop from last year's results, which Watson said may have been because the event coincided with Easter and Passover.
The event began on 6 p.m. Friday night and ended Saturday morning, 12 hours later. This was the first time Relay for Life was held inside the OMAC instead of on the Main Green.
Watson said the move was an attempt to increase the number of people who remained at the event for its entirety. In the past, quiet hours prohibited playing music past 2 a.m. on the Main Green. But since this year's event was held in the OMAC, students could play music all night.
About 55 people stayed until the event's 6 a.m. conclusion, as opposed to the 30 people who stayed last year, Watson said. The dry and well-lit OMAC protected participants from the foul weather outside. Students set up blankets and tents and brought snacks and beverages for the long night. "We even had a dance party at 2:30 a.m.," Watson added, to keep walkers spirited.
The relay began with an opening ceremony, in which the Brown marching band led a procession that included cancer survivors and Relay for Life committee members.
Before the event, participants formed teams, and at least one member from each team was required to remain walking for the entirety. A relay committee member, Emily Lau '09, said that the continuous walking manifests the oath, "We won't stop fighting until we find a cure."
Many teams began fundraising months before the relay. Jason Wade '11, a member of Team NP3, said that each team member had a listing for donations on the Relay for Life Web site. Wade said a Facebook application also helped draw donations by directing students and family members to the Relay for Life Web site.
Teams also held on-site fundraisers, selling backed goods and bracelets to participants.
The top individual fundraiser, Elizabeth Rothman '11, raised $4,830, according to Relay for Life's Web site. Rothman could not be reached for comment. Her team, the ADOCH committee, was the top team fundraiser of the night, raising a total of $7,445. The funds raised will go toward cancer research, patient services and cancer education, according to the Web site.
During the event, student dance and a cappella groups performed, including the Brown Belly Dance team and the Divine Rhythm step team.
A poignant part of the event was the luminaria ceremony. Paper luminarias — bags illuminated by colored glow sticks — were sold during the event and were decorated and dedicated to those who have fought cancer. In previous years, students placed lit candles into the luminarias and arranged them on the Main Green, but the potential fire hazard of lit flames indoors necessitated the switch to glow sticks. During the luminaria ceremony, the names of those honored were read aloud.
Watson said the event was "very close to my heart" because her grandparent died of cancer during her senior year of high school. Kelly Winter '12, captain of Team Citrus, said that the event also held special meaning because a friend's parent had died from cancer.
"Cancer is something that we can work together to beat," Winter said.
