Pace Gears Up for Annual Relay for Life

students and community members will once again camp out in Pleasantville for a cause next Friday, April 20 for this year's Relay For Life.

"Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and fight back against the disease," explained Allyson Dyl, a Pace student who serves as president of Colleges Against Cancer at the school.

The 12-hour event—4 p.m. on Friday to 4 a.m. Saturday—is an "overnight relay-style event," said Dyl.

"Members of each team take turns walking around the track [of the Goldstein Fitness Center] for the duration of the event; food games and activities provide entertainment and fundraising opportunities," she said.

The event, "signifying a person's fight with cancer never stops," raised more than $45,000 for the American Cancer Society during last year's fundraiser.

This year, Dyl said the school is aiming to raise $55,000. So far, 68 teams have rounded up more than $18,000.

"It is a cause I am passionate about because I have been affected by it in my family. When my cousin was two he was diagnosed with leukemia," Dyl shared. "This was very scary to watch him suffer through this. He fought his battle and is cancer free today. But it made me see the struggle someone with cancer has to go through and made me want to do something about it."

While the event takes place at the Pleasantville campus, Dyl said anyone from the area is invited to take part.

"Start a team, create a campsite and come to the event," she said. "Pace invites all cancer survivors, their family, friends and the public to join."

If you don't want to stay up for 12 hours, you can give back in a small way, such as purchasing a luminaria bag.

"They are bags that are decorated in honor of, or in memory of, someone with cancer," Dyl explained. "They are $10 and line the track at Relay."

Though 12 hours might seem like a long time, a carnival-themed affair fit for the whole family will ensure a great time for all, she added. There will be ceremonies to honor those lost to cancer, a ceremony dedicated to fighting back against cancer, as well as performances by groups from Pace like the Glee Club and Dancing with the Stars dance team.

To create a team for the relay or to make a donation, click here.