Stories of Relay

From 7pm to 7am on April 17th and 18th, the Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) chapter at Messiah College hosted its third annual Relay For Life in association with the American Cancer Society (ACS).Brittany Kappauf, Chair of Messiah College's CAC chapter, says that there were 315 participants, 21 committee members, and 26 survivors with their 15 guests attending the event this year.

Other people visited the site of Relay for Life and participated in on-site fund raising.

Special guests Deborah Wright, this year's Mrs. Galaxy, and Wendy Sledd, Mrs. Pennsylvania spoke during the opening ceremony about their own battles with cervical cancer and the support the ACS provides.

Messiah College President Kim Phipps also spoke at the opening of the event.

Messiah College has hosted Relay for Life for the past three years. Kappauf says that the events have been profitable and reports that $40,000 was raised the first year.

"$40,000 for a first year was crazy," Kappauf said. "We've been impressed with how much we have received."

Kauppauf says that additional fund raisers will add to this year's total. She reports that $26,000 was raised.

Although committee members were worried about economic problems effecting fund raising, Kappauf says that it did not hinder this year's event.

Organizing Relay for Life takes an entire school year, Kappauf says. Before the end of this semester, CAC volunteers will begin planning next year's Relay which is scheduled for April 16-17, 2010.

CAC works closely with one staff member of the ACS throughout the year and an additional two or three staff members during Relay, says Kappauf. "It takes a lot of time and people," she said.

"I have a lot of reasons why I relay," said cancer survivor and Messiah College junior, Jason Stussy. "Like most people here, I'd walk forever to see cancer gone."

Stussy had four different colored ribbons painted on his face at an on-site fund raiser. He also wore a gray ribbon, signifying the brain cancer he survived; a pink ribbon for his grandmother, a breast cancer survivor; an orange ribbon for his grandfather, who died from leukemia; and a purple ribbon for his aunt, who died from pancreatic cancer.

At the luminary ceremony, a service held outside of Eisenhower Campus Center to remember those who have lost their lives to cancer and those currently struggling with it, Stussy spoke.

"I'll be 11 years this July," said Stussy, referring to the number of years he has been a cancer survivor.

When he was 10 years old, Stussy was diagnosed with pinealgerminoma, or brain cancer.

Stussy was admitted to several different children's hospitals and received radiation treatment.

Doctors were able to save Stussy's life with minimal lasting damage, although some things continue to be challenging for him. He says that he asks himself, "What good would it be if I was smarter and dead?"

Stussy says that for him, cancer served as a wake-up call. "It's not about you anymore; it's about helping this world that God created," he explained.

Stussy also says that the ACS helped his grandmother. He says he knows how important the help of others is to someone struggling with cancer.

"When it comes to stuff like this, I don't go half way," Stussy said.

Many participants have experienced cancer through someone else's struggle and relay in remembrance of them.

"Listen," Stussy tells himself when faced with challenges, whether it be polar bear swims or relaying. "You've been through cancer, you can do this.