Relay For Life: A Look at the Many Different Organizations
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – There are many different organizations and committees that work together all year round to prepare for Relay For Life.
Summer Ballou, a sophomore majoring in nutrition and dietetics, is heavily involved with Relay through her Greek organization, Delta Phi Epsilon, as well as being a member of the recruitment and involvement committee.
“Basically, the recruitment and involvement committee - R and I for short - we spend the year sending out emails, hanging around the HUB trying to obviously recruit as many people as we can”, Ballou said. “Personally, I was in charge of special interest THON orgs, and first year seminars”.
Due to COVID-19, the event was virtual this year. This hindered a lot of the event’s original plans.
“This year, we’ve just planned out a lot of virtual activities and speeches that people are gonna give, more information, different donating hours,” Ballou said. So it’s not as engaging as what a pre-covid Relay would have been, but, all of the other committees have definitely put in a lot of effort to make a great virtual Relay.”
For Ballou, Relay holds a special place in her heart, as she expresses that her mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Ballou, as well as the other various organizations and committees involved with the event, did not let a pandemic stop them from raising money and awareness for cancer.
With the hard work, perseverance and determination by Ballou and everyone involved all year round, Penn State’s 2021 Relay for Life was most certainly unforgettable.
Emily Grill is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email exg5292@psu.edu