March 7 is the 15th annual Relay For Life of Story County. Relay For Life is an overnight event put on by Colleges Against Cancer that focuses on raising awareness for cancer and money for the American Cancer Society. The event runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. at Lied Recreation Center and keeps students busy with opportunities to participate in a number of different events.

In the year 2013, roughly 1.7 million people in the United States were diagnosed with new cases of cancer according to the American Cancer Society website. Colleges Against Cancer and the American Cancer Society are working together to lower this number every year.

“We’re having a band play, a drumline will be there. There will be a hypnotist coming at 1 o’clock in the morning. There will be a big photo booth where people can take pictures.” said Briana Brunsvold, Co-President of Colleges Against Cancer.

Student athletes, as well as the ISU cheer squad and Cy, are going to be at Relay for Life from 9:30 to 10 a.m. are scheduled to make an appearance.

This year’s Relay For Life event has a birthday party theme, which will be incorporated into the activities. Brunsvold said there will be a cake-eating contest and other birthday party themed activities such as a piñata and a cake-decorating contest.

Although the event is party themed, Relay For Life isn’t all fun and games. One major aspect of Relay is the luminaria ceremony in which participants can write the name of someone who has passed away from cancer or is currently battling the disease. The bags are then filled with glow sticks and the lights are turned out to create a tribute to cancer victims.

“My first [Relay For Life], I bawled like a baby the whole time during the luminaria ceremony because, it kind of really hit me at that point and that was probably the most impactful moment for me, it was crazy,” said Carolyn Clark, Colleges Against Cancer Survivorship Committee Chair.

Twenty-six cancer survivors from the Story County area will be at the event on Friday to share personal stories, as well.

“It’s very important to have survivors involved with Relay [for Life] because you can kind of see the overall goal of the American Cancer Society when we’re trying to raise money…so that more survivors can be in the world instead of being another statistic of a death by cancer,” said Clark.

The overall goal of the American Cancer Society is stated, in short, on the American Cancer Society website as, “to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.” Colleges Against Cancer wants to help achieve that goal by raising $93,000 dollars through Relay For Life.

“If everyone that signed up raises 100 dollars we’ll blow that goal out of the water,” said Brunsvold.

Students who still want to donate can give online or at the event and be assured that their money is helping to make a difference.

“I think all but 3 percent goes directly to research and the funding of ending cancer. Only 3 percent is their overhead cost. So its one of those things that if you do donate, you can be guaranteed that it is helping,” said Clark.