Hero in training: SEMO student organization to hold the school's first Relay for Life

~ SEMO student organization to hold the school's first Relay for Life

Colleges Against Cancer, a student group at Southeast Missouri State University, will host the school's first Relay for Life on Friday.

Colleges Against Cancer is a student-operated organization that promotes awareness and advocacy and participates in American Cancer Society-approved fundraisers. Although the group was created several years ago, it was largely abandoned until Joyce Penny -- cancer survivor, event chair for the Cape Girardeau County Relay for Life and adviser for Southeast's Colleges Against Cancer -- took an interest in revamping the group.

"In 2012, I was named a Hero of Hope for the American Cancer Society," Penny said. "When I did my hero training and had to come up with a goal, my goal was to bring Colleges Against Cancer to Southeast."

Penny said she was not aware the group already existed and was recognized by the university until she attended a student government meeting with the intention of creating a group. From that point, she said "everything just seemed to flow together."

According to Kelli Schenimann, community manager of development for the American Cancer Society Eastern Missouri Region, the student group has a fully functioning executive board with 15 student members. They have registered 16 teams and raised about $8,000 for the relay, but Schenimann said with the help of the community, the students hope to raise $50,000.

"We've got a lot of student support from Greek life, student clubs and organizations and student government," Schenimann said. "Everyone is really excited to have this organization on campus to raise awareness and advocacy."

She also said Cape Girardeau businesses have done their part to support the group, many designating a night to donate a percentage of profits to the group and others taking up collections for donations.

"Cape is a very big supporter of the American Cancer Society," Schenimann said.

Penny said in the early organizational stages of Southeast's Colleges Against Cancer, the group's mission was simply about advocacy and raising awareness throughout the school and community. Organizing their own relay was a decision the students came to on their own, said Schenimann.

"The students said, 'Well, why can't we have our own relay like SLU [Saint Louis University] or Mizzou [University of Missouri],' so we went to the regional vice president and they approved it," Schenimann said.

Although this is the university's relay, participation isn't limited to students. The 12-hour relay, according to Penny, is organized like any other Relay for Life and open to the community.

"We'll begin with traditional opening ceremonies and a survivor walk," she said. "Then the students have arranged for a few bands to come play throughout the night and will do some on-site fundraising."

There also will be prizes and incentives distributed to the teams who have reached various fundraising and participation goals.

Penny said the university also has arranged for shuttles, which provide cross-campus transportation for students, to run until 2 a.m. to take students living on campus to the event. Beginning April 1, the Southeast campus will be painted purple, the color of survivors and Relay for Life, to raise awareness for the event.

The Relay for Life of Southeast Missouri State University, which will be held at the softball field on Sprigg Street, begins at 6 p.m. Friday and concludes at 6 a.m. Saturday. Those interested in individual or team registry, or anyone wishing to make a donation, may visit www.relayforlife.org/semo or call 334-9352.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Bertling Street and North Sprigg Street, Cape Girardeau, Mo.