The Mesa State Relay for Life Team has been fundraising and generating support for cancer research and treatments since 2006. The team began when a member recently completed treatments, and her co-workers wanted to show their support. They team hosts several fundraising campaigns throughout the year including bake sales and Arby’s nights, and each year there is a competition between local teams to raise the most money.

“The competitions to raise the most funds can be pretty fierce,” Team leader JoAnne Reis said.
Relay for Life is an event put on by the American Cancer Society to help raise awareness and money for cancer treatments and research. It’s also an opportunity for community members to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer and to remember those who have died because of it. Teams of people take turns walking or running around a track, representing the fact that cancer never sleeps, and spend their days leading up to the event raising money to go towards cancer research, with the hopes of eventually finding a cure.
“Some people join for one relay and others just keep coming back year after year,” Reis said.
This year’s Relay for Life will take place on June 17 at Long Family Memorial Park, 3118 E 1/2 Rd. There will also be a relay in Fruita on June 3 at the Fruita 8-9 School.
Out of the 80 teams competing in the Grand Valley, Reis’ team is in second place with over $1,695 raised to date. Many teams have to raise money on their own without company support.
“People say, ‘Oh, you have Mesa State College’ and we come back saying, ‘No we don’t.’ It’s all on us to raise money,” Reis said.
The team has support from faculty, students and staff that purchase bracelets, bags, baked goods, and other items the team sells throughout the year.
Each team is made up of a maximum of 15 members. Reis’ team is currently made up of seven MSC faculty and staff members along with freshman Ashleigh Olguin.
Olguin was only two years old when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a type of cancer that occurs when immature white blood cells are over produced in bone marrow. She said that being a cancer survivor has made her more compassionate towards others, especially to those that have children with cancer.
“I think that I will bring initiative to support the American Cancer Society especially since my story, along with many other survivor stories, have been made possible by the American Cancer Society,” Olguin said.
To join a team in the Relay for Life, visit www.grandjunctionrelayforlife.com. Each member is asked to raise a minimum of $100 on their own and to take part in the team’s fundraising efforts.
“Cancer does not have any boundaries. It affects people of all ages,” Reis said.

blofton@mesastate.edu