Participants braved time and weather, as temperatures dipped below freezing at night. Those not walking or running played frisbee, sang karaoke and cheered on their teammates as they took turns circling the track.
Of the 45 total teams participating, 19 represented the College, according to Katie Roza '08, a main College organizer of the Relay. Amherst teams, Roza said, included groups from the first-year dorms, the football team, the field hockey team, the women's basketball team, Peer Advocates, Pride Alliance, Amherst Christian Fellowship, Progressive Student Alliance and College staff.
Together, the teams raised more than $64,000, representing an increase of nearly $20,000 from last year. Almost half of the total funds raised at the Relay were achieved by squads from the College, and since Amherst was the top fundraising school, it will receive a plaque marking its achievement.
"Team Spinnato," a football team-based squad named after captain Lawrence Spinnato '06, raised the most money of any team, and Zachary Cutler '07E the most of any individual participant. "Drop it with a W," a UMass squad named after that school's option of dropping a class mid-semester rather than accepting a failing grade, won the "Most Team Spirit" award.
At the opening ceremony, cancer survivors and caregivers from the Five College community walked the first lap together. At 9 p.m., a second ceremony honored those who have died of cancer and those currently battling the disease. Candle lanterns, dedicated to cancer victims, lined the track.
The primary organizers of the Relay were Melissa Ivanoski and Nicole Lohr, both UMass seniors. Roza and Amy Miller '08 served as the team recruitment co-chairs for the College, recruiting teams and publicizing the Relay. "Being a part of this event has been such an inspiration," Roza said. "I was truly touched to see that so many people care about improving cancer research and treatment. I am especially proud of Amherst College students for representing our school so well and for fundraising so successfully."
Relay For Life began in Tacoma, Wa., in 1985 when Dr. Gordon Klatt, a colorectal surgeon, ran and walked alone around the track at the University of Puget Sound, raising $27,000 on his own. The event spread across the U.S. and has become a primary fundraising mechanism for the American Cancer Society. Five colleges across the country adopted the event in 2001, and that number increased to 63 in 2002, when the Relay raised $2.1 million nationwide. In 2005, 125 college campuses have hosted or will host Relays.