Spartans Fighting Cancer continued to paint the campus purple Thursday when they released purple and white balloons into the sky for their annual event. They held their balloon release at the rock on Farm Lane. Due to weather conditions Monday the event was pushed to Thursday.
The organization has been especially active on campus this week in order to spread awareness about cancer and its research, for Relay for Life.
They educate and inform the MSU community as well as support all those affected by cancer from survivors to a wide range of others.
“We are one of American Cancer Society’s branch of Colleges Against Cancer. So a lot of universities and most of the Big Ten universities have a branch directly related to the American Cancer Society, and so we are a registered (student organization),” said Lauren Murphy, a supply chain management senior and director of production for Spartans Fighting Cancer. “We hold Relay for Life in April and all proceeds for that go back to American Cancer Society,”
The group branches out this week in order to get back into preparations of Relay for Life goals.
The goal this year is to raise $300,000 toward the research division of the American Cancer Society.
“We have been doing events all week just to kind of go back to relay in prep for our big event kickoff, which is on Sunday,” nutritional sciences junior and Spartans Fighting Cancer executive board member Jenna Chaffee said.
Each member chooses to involve themselves in the group because of connection to and advocacy for cancer and its research.
“Personally my mom has cancer. That is kind of where it tugged at me to join and donate,” Chaffee said. “She actually just recently, in the past month, had a scan and her cancer came back. It’s especially hard this year. It’s something special this year.”
The students involved in the event each released several balloons with specific names on them for those they represent in the race or relay through the organization. Many have personal experiences with the disease.
“I relay for a lot of people that I met on my own cancer journey. In April of 2008 I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia which is a pretty common childhood cancer. When you’re really sick and feel limited it’s hard to feel like yourself. My parents and family sacrificed a lot. It was hard, but it brought us all very close,” Kaitlin Aldea, a nursing junior and executive board member said.
Aldea will celebrate five years in remission this August.
There will be an official Relay for Life kickoff event this Sunday for the organization starting at noon at the Wharton Center.
