My Passion for Relay

by Brooklyn Carroll

There is something so rewarding about doing good for others, in ways that are unexplainable. I have been volunteering with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life for around 10 years. Relay for Life is a fundraiser in which the community comes together to celebrate those who have beat cancer and to honor those who lost their battle with the terrible disease. The money raised at the relay event and donated online throughout the year is sent to the American Cancer Society to provide cancer patients rides to hospitals and lodging and to fund groundbreaking research to find the cure to cancer.

I remember during the club fair of my freshman year at Christopher Newport, I was very unsure of where I would fit in. A lot of organizations sounded interesting, but I was too timid at the time to approach their tables. That all changed when I came across the Colleges Against Cancer table, where I knew I belonged. It was amazing to me that I could continue my fight against cancer at Christopher Newport, since I have been so passionate about the cause for many years prior.

Four years have passed, and I have just finished my last Relay for Life event at Christopher Newport. As a general Colleges Against Cancer member for two years followed by two years as the VP of marketing, I have put a lot of my time into making the Relay for Life fundraiser on campus successful. It is outstanding that Colleges Against Cancer and all of the participating Captains and college organizations were successfully able to surpass both the American Cancer Society’s goal and our organization’s own fundraising goal.

At the start of the year, we were determined to raise $60,000. Hours before the actual Relay for Life event, we already met our goal! By the end of the 12-hour fundraising event, Relay for Life of CNU has raised over $65,000 for the American Cancer Society, and this total is continuing to grow. My last Relay at Christopher Newport is one that I will never forget and has encouraged me to continue my passion to fight against cancer for years to come.