When it comes to cancer, students Kirsten Platto and Sabrina Stewart know a thing or two about the disease, which has affected their families. To help fight for a cure, they joined Grand Valley State University’s chapter of Colleges Against Cancer and have been raising money toward this year’s Relay For Life on April 12.

“I did Relay (For Life) last year and I was like so in love with it that I was totally ready to take on more responsibility for this club,” Stewart said.

Their latest endeavor was planning the second-annual “Concert for a Cure,” which took place Feb. 22 in Area 51 inside the Kirkhof Center, and featured performers Luke Paul, a GVSU sophomore, Xavier Remmo-Long, a GVSU freshman, and Alexa Lusader, a sophomore at Oakland University.

Last year the event raised $300, but was only able to draw in $75 in donations last Friday. The money will eventually be donated to the American Cancer Society, after being put toward the leading Relay For Life team.

“Basically, the money that we raise here goes toward the top team, towards their amount, so it’s just kind of another incentive because everyone wants to be the top team at relay,” Stewart said.

Competition is involved in raising money for Relay For Life, where student organizations form teams, gain as many donations as they can and walk around the Fieldhouse Arena track from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

“It’s kind of in the top team’s benefit to win to get this extra money for their team, also,” Platto said.

This year’s “Concert for a Cure” performers did not hesitate to join the Colleges Against Cancer cause.

“I decided to come back because last year everyone was so cheery and excited about supporting the cause,” Paul said. “I really enjoy being around people who are passionate about things like that.”

Lusader doesn’t even go to GVSU but she wanted to help the cause.

“Well, they asked me to perform because they knew I sang so I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m all for it,’” she said.

Along with Relay for Life, Colleges Against Cancer tries to get students involved with other projects as well, such as interacting with cancer patients at Gilda’s Club, Platto said.

“It basically just spreads awareness about the American Cancer Society and all of the different benefits that they have to offer, like Road To Recovery and Hope Lodge downtown, just to promote awareness about everything going on,” Stewart said.

Right now there are 75 teams signed-up for Relay For Life, and Stewart said their goal is to have 110 teams participating.

“It’s more than money, we want people to be so inspired by this that they join a team and they make the effort to go because once they go once, we know they’re gonna wanna go again,” Stewart said.

To get involved with Relay for Life at GVSU, go to their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RelayForLifeGVSU.
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