Campus group offers education, advocacy

Kent State’s chapter of Colleges Against Cancer is aiming to raise awareness and Relay For Life participation in its effort to help find a cure for cancer.

The chapter is a new addition to campus this semester, but Colleges Against Cancer is no stranger to Kent State, said Alex Mott, sophomore early childhood education major. Mott, the president of CAC, said the organization originally began on Kent campus in December 2005, but participation withered after a couple years.

Mott said he wanted to bring the organization back to students’ attention so they can get involved and so he can share his commitment to finding a cure.

“It was a way for me and others to get involved to show people they care about finding a cure for cancer,” Mott said.

Mott said the mission of CAC is to promote “cancer education, advocacy, survivorship and Relay For Life.” He said survivorship could include people visiting cancer patients in hospitals or having cancer survivors participating in Relay For Life.

President Lester Lefton said service organizations such as CAC are good because they help teach students organizational and life skills.

“It’s (CAC) not only a good thing, it’s a great thing,” Lefton said. ” . I think if there were more service organizations, the world would be a better place.”

There are currently 16 CAC chapters spread across Ohio, and Mott said CAC has a positive and close connection with Relay For Life.

“It’s proven that colleges with CAC raise more money for Relay for Life,” Mott said.

Rachel Kessler, co-chair of Relay For Life at Kent State, said there is a unique relationship between the two groups because Relay for Life typically branches off CAC, but the chapter’s small member base requires close cooperation between the groups. Kessler, a senior marketing major, said there are five to 10 volunteers who cross over between Relay For Life and CAC.

Kessler said CAC complements Relay For Life by covering things the relay doesn’t.

“It really fills the education piece Relay (For Life) misses,” Kessler said.

Kessler said another contribution CAC makes is the marketing aspect.

Mott said CAC’s current project is its $10 Relay for Life T-shirts, which give 100 percent of the proceeds to the American Cancer Society.

Kessler said she expects attendance to be around 2,500 at Kent State’s Relay For Life event April 25 and 26 at the track by the Liquid Crystal Institute. She said teams can usually sign up until the week before the event.

Mott said Relay For Life’s goal for this year is to raise $100,000. He said if anyone is interested in volunteering with CAC or Relay for Life, they can e-mail him at [email protected].

Contact news correspondent Anthony Holloway at [email protected].