Date: Apr 25, 2012

5th Anniversary of Relay For Life at Hofstra

Campus Aims to Raise Over $100,000

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra Community will gather at the campus intramural fields on April 28, 2012 at 7:00pm to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life at the university. The 2011 Relay For Life at Hofstra raised $90,000 for the American Cancer Society. This year’s fundraising goal is to break the six-figure mark, organizers say.             

Event co-chair Zach Dane, senior at Hofstra, lost his mother to lung cancer that eventually spread when he was in the seventh grade.  “I relay for my mom” he said. “She is the reason that I am doing everything that I can to promote a cancer-free world. My friends know this and support me 110% before Relay and during the event itself.”           

The Relay For Life events are held overnight as individuals and some teams camp out in tents on the campus’ intramural fields, with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track or pathway at all times throughout the evening. The teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their camp site.            

“Our dedication and commitment to this cause helps to make Hofstra's Relay For Life one of the largest in the area,” Dane said. “Relay For Life unites our campus unlike any other event. Students, staff, administration, and faculty all work together for this great cause. The community that is formed as a result continues to blossom throughout the remainder of the year until the next Relay.”

The Hofstra event features several stands staffed by team members that sell items ranging from refreshments to apparel, as well as a large stage for performances and addresses during the event.  The Luminaria service is always a memorable aspect of the evening.  Against the setting sun, small paper bags with candles inside line the track as Relay For Life participants, cancer survivors and caregivers gather together for a ceremony to remember loved ones who have died and to honor those who have successfully battled the disease.

Relay For Life began in May 1985, when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon, took the first step of his 24-hour walk around a track in Tacoma, Wash., and raised $27,000 to support the American Cancer Society.  For more information on how to get involved, visit www.relayforlife.org/hofstra.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from about 140 undergraduate and more than 150 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services; and honors studies, as well as a School of Law and the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine.

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Related Link: Hofstra University's Relay for Life