Battling cancer is focus of Relay for Life event at Payne Whitney Gym

Cancer survivors and their supporters will spend a night at Payne Whitney Gymnasium during the Relay for Life at Yale University, an overnight vigil with dual purpose: to raise funds for the American Cancer Society and to celebrate the lives of people who have battled the disease.

The fundraiser is sponsored by the Yale chapter of Colleges Against Cancer, a nationwide student-led movement to increase awareness about cancer issues. It will run from 6 p.m. on Friday, April 11 to 6 a.m. on Saturday, April 12.

Relay for Life events are held throughout the country. During the fundraisers, teams of people camp at a local campus, park, or fairground, and take turns walking or running around a track or path. The Yale event will take place on the track in the gym’s Lanman Center.

Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the overnight event to underscore the message that “Cancer never sleeps.” The night includes a Luminaria Ceremony honoring individuals whose lives have been touched by cancer, and a Fight Back Ceremony underscoring the participants’ commitment to battling the disease.

Click here for more information about how to support the Relay for Life at Yale University event.