Students raise money to fight cancer

University of Richmond junior Jordan Snelling was a middle school student when her uncle’s cancer diagnosis made her one of the millions of Americans touched by the disease every year, either directly or through a relationship with a loved one stricken with the disease.

“My uncle died,” the Fogelsville, Pa., native said, “and as a young person, there was not a lot that I felt I could do about it.” However, when she learned about the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, she believed it provided an opportunity to contribute to the fight against cancer and began participating in the event with her family.

Snelling served this year as event chair of Relay for Life of University of Richmond. Some 300 participants raised $24,000 for the April 12–13 relay at Sports Backers Stadium. For 24 hours, participants took turns walking or running the track to represent the continuous battle against cancer. Ceremonies during the event honored cancer survivors as well as those who did not survive the disease.

Snelling began working on Relay for Life of University of Richmond last year as logistics chair. “I got involved because it’s an easy way to do something, and I thought the UR community would want to participate,” she said.

When she was in high school, her grandmother died from leukemia lymphoma. The loss, combined with the knowledge that she is helping raise money to save lives, further strengthened Snelling’s commitment to fight cancer through Relay for Life.

Relay for Life was not the only group on campus raising money for worthy causes. Sigma Chi fraternity raised $25,000 for breast cancer research in four days, and Kappa Alpha Theta used a fun, social event, Rock the Casa, to raise $1,300. The money was given to CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates, to assist children involved in the judicial system.