The American Cancer Society hosted their annual fundraiser, Relay for Life on April 17, 2009 at the Kiawanis Fairgrounds.

The event attracted members of the community to come together for the purpose of raising money for cancer research and honoring people who have survived or lost their lives to the disease.

This year, 109 teams participated in the Relay for Life of Bulloch County, and 1,700 total people attended the event. Georgia Southern (GSU) students represented a large percentage of the teams, with 23 of the teams being affiliated with GSU.

Participants had the chance to purchase luminaries for $5 to honor or remember someone with cancer. The luminaries were placed on the fairgrounds in the shape of a track.

“I relay in honor of my brother who attended Georgia Southern before he lost his battle with Leukemia,” said GSU graduate student, Rachel Newcomer.

The theme for the event was “Celebrate the Past, Fight for the Future.” The teams decorated their tents with items that represented past decades or used a futuristic image.

Among the GSU organizations were Colleges against Cancer, Zeta Tau Alpha, Pi Kappa Alpha, and Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

The GSU PRSSA team won the contest for best decorated tent. “After staying up all night, we were exhausted, so winning the contest gave me an extra wind,” said PRSSA member Sam Dershowitz.

The proceeds from the event totaled $222 thousand, the highest total since the event started in Bulloch County 16 years ago.

Jazmin Dekle