Virginia Tech Relay for Life 2016 breaks records
You can’t rain on our parade!
This year’s VTRelay Executive Committee set their sights high for the 15th annual Relay for Life event here on campus. They wanted to have a record number of participants signed up, and beat our fundraising number from last year: $505,900.
When the forecast called for rain all day, the committee got extremely nervous about reaching this goal. But an early morning thunderstorm couldn’t stop fundraising progress!
By 10am, we had already beaten the record number of participants! This is especially important because people who show up to the event and pay at the door do not count as “participants.” That means that 6,484 Hokies signed up to beat cancer before Relay began, and while it was raining too!
It wasn’t long after that that our fundraising numbers passed the $500,000 mark, making it easier to beat last year’s total by 5am. You, the participants, fundraisers, committee members, and volunteers did just that! The total amount fundraised by 5am was $568,200! Way to go, Hokies!
What’s especially amazing about this is that representatives from The American Cancer Society, including new sponsor Taboo from The Black Eyed Peas, were present to witness the amazing dedication to a cure displayed on Friday! VTRelay events are just going to get bigger and bigger, which means we’ll be getting closer and closer to a cure!
Virginia Tech hosts the largest collegiate Relay in the world, and it is clear that “Hope Lives Here!”