While St. Joe’s annual Relay For Life event was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak, the club plans to host a virtual event on Instagram live in order to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
Relay For Life is an annual event run by the American Cancer Society, with schools and other organizations hosting local events.
St. Joe’s Relay For Life event was set to take place from 7 p.m. on April 24 to 7 a.m. on April 25. It normally attracts over 1,000 students who participate in a variety of activities throughout the night. There are games, a chance to win prizes and performances by student acapella groups and the dance team.
“We do not have any concrete details at this time but are trying to think of something fun and entertaining for our Instagram live,” said Missy MacPherson ’20, the university’s event leader.
MacPherson said the virtual event will be held on April 24, the day it was set to take place on campus.
On March 16, the American Cancer Society made the decision to cancel all events that were scheduled to take place this year before at least May 11, MacPherson said.
“Personally, I was heartbroken,” MacPherson said. “Relay For Life has been one of my favorite parts about SJU. I have been involved in it for all four years, so it’s hard not to be able to have closure with it.”
MacPherson said the goal was to raise $55,000 this year. Much of that is from the $15 fee students pay to attend the event.
“So far, the group has raised $15,000 and is continuing to share fundraising pages for donations,” MacPherson said.
The club is also raising money by selling Pura Vida Bracelets for $6. MacPherson has the bracelets and is shipping them out as orders come in.
MacPherson said she joined Relay For Life to honor her grandmother’s fight with cancer and other people whose lives have been impacted by cancer.
“My grandmother had stage 4 uterine cancer when I was a baby,” MacPherson said. “She miraculously survived and is in her eighties now. There is something so important and powerful about coming together to fight back against a disease that takes so much from everyone.”
