Glenville State College’s Relay for Life Committee members are proud to announce their first year as an official American Cancer Society Collegiate Relay for Life event. In the past, GSC has worked in conjunction with the Gilmer County event that is held in July. The GSC event will be facing off against West Virginia Wesleyan College and Alderson-Broaddus College events this year along with the entire South Atlantic Division in most participants and money raised categories.

Director of Student Activities and Gilmer County American Cancer Society Chair Kipp Colvin said, “The GSC Collegiate Relay for Life is just another way in which our students care about making an impact in the lives of others and the community in which they live. In 2009, the collegiate Relays across America raised over four million dollars. With this being Glenville State College’s first official collegiate Relay, we will be a part of that fundraising that will truly make a difference. Recently, the American Cancer Society stated that the students who are attending college now will see a cure for cancer in their lifetime, and the money that we raise is providing hope for the cure. What I’m most proud of is the dedication, spirit, and devotion that our student’s have displayed in making this Relay a student led movement.”

GSC Senior Elementary Education Major and Chairperson of the GSC Relay for Life Kindra Davis-Kidd of Parkersburg, West Virginia said, “I relay for my cousin who died of cancer while in high school. I was unable to help and now I want to do everything I can to promote awareness, education, and to spread the hope of finding a cure for this terrible disease.”

“I relay because every person in the world has been affected by cancer in one way or another. It makes me sad that one out of ten people are diagnosed with cancer and only one in every one-hundred Americans are involved in Relay for Life. I enjoy being a part of the committee because I enjoy planning the big event and helping get more people active in fighting to find a cure for cancer,” said GSC Relay for Life Co-Chairperson Katrina Fitzwater who is a Senior Elementary Education Major with a specialization in Early Education at GSC from Oak Hill in Fayette County.

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. A kickoff event was held for this year-long GSC fundraising event in the Mollohan Campus Community Center on November 17th. Student organizations, fraternities/sororities, and groups of friends were able to sign up their teams to help raise money for cancer research and treatment support. The goal for GSC’s Relay for Life on April 27th is $5,000.