The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life is an inspiring event during which communities unite for a common goal: to find a cure for cancer. The events are held at high schools, colleges and other community locations and are between 12 and 24 hours long. At AU, the annual event is from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. in Bender Arena, and students stay up all night enjoying music, activities and friends, with at least one representative from each team walking the track the entire night. Why? Because cancer never sleeps, and so for one night, neither do we. It is a reminder that people who battle cancer do so 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is for these strong people that we relay. Although filled with constant music and activities, the night is centered around celebration, remembrance and the desire to fight back. The evening progresses from a “survivor lap,” celebrating the victories of all cancer survivors, to a powerful luminaria ceremony, when participants take silent laps and remember those lost to cancer, to a final closing ceremony, reflecting our hope to inspire people to continue the fight against cancer. This year marked the third annual AU Relay For Life, which continues to grow each year. Over 700 students and community members united with a common hope in this truly inspiring event. Although there were many different reasons to be at the event, on Relay night, this campus came together to make a huge difference in one of the most important fights of our generation.

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