Relay for Life kick-off

By Meg Beerling

Cardinal Staff

This year, SMU’s Relay For Life started Tuesday Dec. 7 with a kick-off fundraising event, where participants made various holiday items for cancer patients at the Hope Lodge treatment center.

All proceeds from Relay For Life fundraising events are given to the Hope Lodge, said Kristina Empenger, co-president of SMU’s Relay For Life committee.

The Hope Lodge is a cancer treatment center in Rochester where cancer patients can stay during their treatment, said Empanger, “almost like a hotel.” Empanger has worked with Relay For Life since high school and has helped with it at SMU for three years.

The kick-off was to start fundraising for the event, and it was also held so that students to get more information and tips about starting a team for the event in March, said Alison Hill, co-president of SMU’s Relay for Life committee. Students made scarves and holiday cards for the patients at the Hope Lodge, said Hill.

If students are interested in setting up a team for the Relay For Life event they should do so as soon as possible, said Hill. Anyone can form a group, students and faculty, said Hill, and there is no maximum amount of members limiting group size.

Groups can be signed up online at www.relayforlife.org/SMU. There are varying levels of involvement with Relay For Life, said Hill. Students can be committee members, captains of teams, or team participants, Hill said. Committee members and team captains must attend meetings once a month leading up to the event.

The actual Relay For Life fundraiser walk is on Mar. 18 and 19. Until this event, teams should have smaller fundraisers to help raise money at the event, said Hill. Money raised before the event should be brought to monthly meetings by the captains of the team and will be kept by the co-presidents to keep track of, she said. Also, relay teams will be holding fundraisers at the actual event to raise money, according to Hill.

With questions about the event, participants can e-mail either of the co-presidents at AMHILL07@smumn.edu and KJEMPA07@smumn.edu.