JMU students open up about why they Relay

With over 3,000 students participating this year, Relay for Life at James Madison University is a thriving event. Over 200 teams have raised close to $170,000.00 so far, with still almost two weeks until the big event.

It is apparent that JMU takes the fight against cancer seriously, and here are some of the reasons why…

Becca Seymour, Junior

“I Relay because the only grandparent I was alive to meet was my grandmother. She lived three minutes down the road and we were constantly together. She was diagnosed with brain cancer and within six months, she passed. The tumor was in the center of her brain, and was completely inoperable. I Relay because the doctors told our family that this aggressive and terminal cancer may have a genetic link, and I don’t want to see anyone in my family, or anyone else’s, to lose someone so close so fast.”

Taylor Main, Senior

“I Relay because I’ve lost both grandparents and my pets to caner. I’ve seen friends go through treatment and how that affects them and their family. I’ve see a 10-year-old ask to stop treatment because she was tired of fighting cancer. I’ve seen a community come together to provide financial and emotional relief to those families directly affected. I Relay because as much as cancer tears apart people’s lives, the hope that one day we can live without cancer is what brings us back together.”

Christina Ziu, Sophomore

 “This past summer, I lost one of my best friends to cancer. She was diagnosed a little over a year before she passed away – it happened that quickly. Throughout her last year, she did not let cancer affect her. I never once heard her complain or question ‘why me.’ Many people didn’t even know she had cancer and she liked it that way. From this, I learned that you never know what people are going through and what battles people are fighting. For this reason, I Relay to raise awareness. I Relay for hope. I Relay for Katherine.”

Marina Bletsos, Sophomore

“I never thought cancer would take such a young life away from this world, let alone one of my friends. I Relay to represent the young generation affected by cancer, for hope and for Katherine. In August of 2014, one of my best friend’s, Katherine, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a childhood cancer. When she first told me I was in utter shock, but she reassured me that everything was going to be fine and that chemo and radiation would treat her. This was the first time someone so close to me was affected by cancer. For anyone that knew Katherine, they knew she was outgoing, charismatic and the life of the party, truly a fun, sweet girl to be around and cancer never changed that. Although she was at home that year and not at JMU, she visited as much as she could, always with a smile on her face. She never complained or made me feel bad that she was fighting for her life. To be honest, you couldn’t really tell she had cancer, because she never let it – she never let cancer define her, ever. When she would visit or we would hang out, she was still her energized self and never talked about it. I wish I could say that every story has a happy ending but, unfortunately that is not always the case. The following August, Katherine lost her battle to cancer. I Relay for Katherine and in hope that one day we won’t be losing our friends to cancer and that one day parents won’t have to bury their daughter or son because of cancer. I hope I live to see the day that we find a cure for cancer. Relay to me is not just about the money that is raised, although that is truly amazing, but also to honor people’s legacies that have been affected by this awful disease or taken too soon. And that is why I Relay.”

Sara MacMillan, Junior

“Everyone has been impacted by his terrible disease in one way or another and for me, my roommate and sorority sister lost her battle to cancer last year at age 20… and no one should have to bury their child. I Relay because everyone should get to see their little girl walk across the aisle, or walk across that stage at graduation. I Relay because every penny counts when it could give someone more time with the ones they love.”

Callie Smith, Freshman

“My original motivation to join Relay was to honor my granny Bee, my best friend in life. With that being said, it didn’t take long for me to realize that the purpose of Relay for Life is so much bigger than just one individual. I am Relaying for my sisters nationwide, JMU students, people in my community, and so on. I am Relaying for those who aren’t able to. I Relay so one day people won’t have to!”

Landon Messmer, Junior

“The reason I Relay is so future generations will never know the fear of being diagnosed with cancer. Cancer is a disease that attacks more than an individual’s body, it tears at the hearts of everyone who loves that person as well. Relay for me, is an opportunity to look outwards instead of inwards and help another person you may not personally know. Being human is helping others in need, so for me Relay for Life is an extension of human nature. In other words, it’s simply doing what is right without expecting anything in return.”

Megan King, Sophomore

“To me, Relay for Life means giving my future grandchildren the opportunity to never have to watch a grandmother suffer through the pain caused by cancer. My Mom-Mom was diagnosed in early spring 2015 with stage three pancreatic cancer, and it quickly progressed into stage four by May. There was nothing that could be done to get rid of the cancer, but she went through chemo and radiation treatments throughout the summer to keep her as comfortable as possible. Watching my cheery, loving, and kind-hearted grandmother grow smaller and weaker with each passing day was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, and in October 2015, she passed away, surrounded by my family while I was stuck five hours away at school. I relay in her memory and honor, so that one day, no one will have to go through the agony she went through or the emotional roller-coaster my family was placed on. Relay for Life is the most humbling, amazing experience and no matter how difficult it can be to think back on all of that pain, knowing that I might be able to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients is more than enough to help me to look forward to participating each and every year.”

Relay For Life will be held on Friday April 15, 2016, at 6pm. Admission to the event requires you to be on a team, so sign up to a team, or create your own (registration cots $10, and further fundraising is optional).