Ending Cancer with Relay for Life
On 30 May, MGCI held its annual Relay Day. Relay Day is a tradition hosted by Relay for Life where students participate in activities in support of cancer research. Relay for Life has spread across North America to many schools and All money raised from Relay Day goes toward cancer research, public health campaigns, and providing support systems to patients.
Each year, students sign up for the event in teams of up to 10 students. Students get together to participate and raise money for cancer research. Teams compete against each other to raise the greatest amount of money for fun prizes and bragging rights. Furthermore, Relay Day hosts many team competitive events where teams can win points. At the end of Relay Day, the team with the most points wins. Relay Day is an event that can bring students together and raise awareness for public health issues. This year saw many activities including volleyball, frisbee, three-legged race, and running. Students had lots of fun particpating in this event. Editor-in-Chief of the Reckoner, Paul Shur, agrees: “I really enjoyed splashing water on my friends. It was very nice. I would love to participate in this event again and I am proud to support cancer research.” This sentiment was echoed by many, including participant Swapnil Kabir, who highlighted the importance of community support and bringing people together to support a good cause.
For many students, the motivation to sign up for Relay Day was personal. An estimated 2 in 5 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, meaning that cancer research and prevention is absolutely crucial to improving public health [1]. Grade 10 Student Victor Jiang highlighted the importance of his family’s story for his motivation to join: “I am doing this for my grandpa. This is a great event that has brought together such a large community and I want everyone to help make a difference.”
Every year, Relay for Life pulls off an amazing event. This year, MGCI Relay for Life was led by President Zixuan Xu. However, she states that much of the credit goes to a great community, saying “thanks to everyone for participating and we could not have done this without our amazing committee.” As committee member Elex Cao put, this event was possible due to everyone’s participation and community sponsors, including Kernels Popcorn.
Special thanks to Ms. Woods, the committee, all Relay advisors, and many wonderful sponsors. Make sure to be on the lookout for more events next year.
