University of Mississippi students and Oxford community members gathered to honor cancer survivors, remember those who died from the disease and raise funds for research and patient support at the Relay for Life charity walk. The event was held at the University of Mississippi Intramural Fields on Saturday, April 11.
From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the field transformed into a space filled with music, laughter and reflection. Attendees participated in games, visited local vendors and took part in ceremonies that highlighted both the challenges of cancer and the strength of those affected by it.
Hosted in support of the American Cancer Society, this year’s event raised more than $9,300, which contributed to ongoing efforts in cancer research, treatment and patient services. In only its second year at the university, organizers said the event has already seen significant growth.
Planning an event of this scale takes months of preparation and coordination. American Cancer Society at Ole Miss Co-director for Relay for Life Jessica Voge is a junior secondary English education major from Cincinnati, Ohio, who was instrumental in organizing the event.
“Planning is about a year-long process,” Voge said. “We pick leadership in the spring, build our committee in the fall, and by the time we come back from winter break, we are in full planning mode.”
Organizers worked with student groups, Greek organizations and Oxford businesses to coordinate the event.
“We email, Instagram (direct message) and message all sorts of different groups and organizations across campus, as well as local businesses,” Voge said. “A lot of fraternities and sororities are very willing to sponsor and create teams to help promote our event.”
Co-director Bryson Tesseneer, a senior biochemistry major from Madison, Ala., emphasized the importance of teamwork in making the event successful.
“Putting together an event like Relay takes a team that is efficient, motivated and passionate about the mission,” Tesseneer said. “There are so many moving pieces and logistical details that have to be sorted out to make it work.”
Tesseneer added that the event’s mission resonates widely because of how common cancer is.
“Cancer is one of those things that likely everyone has experienced in some capacity,” he said. “Relay For Life is an event that will positively affect people because of how common it (cancer) is in our lives.”
On the intramural fields, Voge stood before her peers and shared her personal experience with cancer.
“As a child, I never thought of cancer. It was something that happened to other people, until it was me,” Voge said.
Voge was diagnosed with leukemia at 12 and spent six months undergoing intensive inpatient treatment.
“I’ve come to realize that one may survive cancer, but they are never free from it,” Voge said.
Years after Voge’s cancer treatment, her mother, Joellyn Voge, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
“My mom, who had stood by my side with so much strength, love and patience during my treatment … would be facing intensive treatment of her own,” Voge said. “It was so different, so difficult in different ways, to be a witness to cancer as it affected a loved one.”
Voge then gathered a banner that read “Survivors” and invited all cancer survivors present, including her mother, to march while carrying the banner with her. Voge’s speech drew tears from many in the audience.
“Everyone has their own reasons to relay, and today, I relay for my mom, my 12 -year-old self, for my cancer community back home in Ohio and for my (American Cancer Society) family here,” Voge said. “I relay for those who can’t relay, and I relay with the hopes that some day we may never have to relay again.”
After the survivors’ lap, attendees participated in limbo, three-legged races and water balloon tosses. Families from the Oxford community, students and volunteers filled the intramural fields with laughter, teamwork and the occasional fall during the three-legged race.
American Cancer Society at Ole Miss Relay for Life Committee Involvement Chair Anna Margaret Hooker is a sophomore biological science major from Jackson, Miss. She noted the joy of the participants during the event.
“I loved seeing people participate in the games with smiles on their faces,” Hooker said.
Hooker noted that the event has grown rapidly in terms of community involvement between this year and last.
“This year was only the second-ever Relay For Life, and it has already grown significantly,” Hooker said. “We want to continue to get more students and community members involved and raise even more money for the fight against cancer.”
To facilitate that growth, Oxford-based band Golden Teacher Society performed at the event.
“The whole reason we play music in the first place is about people and love,” Thomas Turner, the vocalist and guitarist for the band, said. “Relay for Life was the perfect event to celebrate survivors and do what we love.”
The Golden Teacher Society drew a crowd, which gathered on the grass as the sun set.
“Sitting there on the grass, watching them, singing and dancing along — I really couldn’t think of a better place to be,” Voge said.
The event came to a close with dancing and light-up necklaces, but its impact extended beyond the final moments on the field.
“What you are doing today, in this moment, right now, matters,” Voge said. “You are giving hope and support to a community that is centered around a disease that is so completely devastating.”
Relay participants echoed Voge’s statement about the event’s impact. Makaria Hedge, a sophomore psychology major from Brandon, Miss., hopes that the fundraising and support stirred up through events like this may one day lead to a breakthrough in research.
“If we continue to fundraise and support the fight against cancer, we can work toward finding a cure,” Hedge said.
Organizers hope the event will expand in the years to come.
Relay For Life provides the university community with a way to come together in support and remembrance of cancer patients.
