As the Relay for Life cancer research charity run draws near, competition on campus has intensified as athletic teams vie for first place in collecting the most donations, and Dartmouth organizers watch how they compare with the rest of the Ivy League.
"It is the first year for all the Ivies to be participating, and the goal is to raise the most money in the Ivy League," said event organizer Jeff DellaVolpe '04. "We want Dartmouth to be known as the best and biggest relay, which is something the school can take pride in."
For both DellaVolpe and fellow organizer Andrew Biteen '04, the goal is to collect more money than Brown and Harvard.
Some, however, argue that this competitive edge distances the participants from the ultimate goal of the relay: finding a cure to cancer.
Competition is high on campus, as athletic teams lead in fundraising. Currently, the softball team has earned over $1,100, while the swim team trails at $810. In addition, many donations have been made to the figure skating and volleyball teams.
"There is definitely a competition between the softball and swimming teams," said softball player Susie Fox '07, who has individually generated the most amount of money on campus at $890. "But the competition helps because it raises more money for a good cause."
Bitten added, "There was concern about competition on campus, but it was concluded that it is not really the culture at Dartmouth."
"It is a collaborative effort, Biteen said. "Dartmouth students have a competitive attitude, but more with other colleges than with teams within the school."
Figure skater and relay team captain Taylor Grant '06 agreed.
"I am totally impressed by the amount of donations Fox is able to contribute to the society," Grant said. "It is fun to be ranked high as a school and be in competition with other colleges."
Most participants feel personally connected to the relay, but Dartmouth has its own story to tell, as Brian Henry '04 died of cancer a year ago. The relay is a celebration of survivors' struggles, but the memory of Henry will be kept alive through speakers and a luminary ceremony.
Relay for Life began in May 1985, when Gordy Klatt raised $27,000 to support the American Cancer Society, as he performed a 24-hour run/walk around a track in Washington. Since then, the overnight event has developed into a global network of communities fighting against cancer.
The relay came to Dartmouth this year through the work of DellaVolpe, a civic intern at the Tucker Foundation. DellaVolpe introduced the idea at an interest meeting and received instant support. By winter, he was able to put together an infrastructure to make the project a reality.
"I wanted to think of a one-time service project that students could be invited to as a group community builder," he said. "It was for students to get together for a good cause, and it just took off."
The event begins on May 21 with the opening lap of the relay, where participants will gather around survivors making their laps around the field. Throughout the night, someone from each team will be on the track while others enjoy the entertainment from campus bands, comedians and a cappella groups.
"The philosophy is that cancer never sleeps," Biteen said. "So it is for people to give up one Friday night as a testament to what cancer patients have to go through."
The deadline to join a team is April 23, and the final collection of donations will be May 17.
