Tonight and Saturday is Gustavus’ Annual ‘Relay For Life’, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. which will be held on the blue in Lund. Teams of Gusties signed up to raise money for cancer research and everyone is encouraged to come and participate in the many festivities planned for the evening.

One activity to look forward to is the Chuck Norris challenge, where the top five  representatives for their fundraisers eat five pounds of food which is scheduled for 10 p.m.

Other events include a lip sync competition, Lineus, a water pong tournament, and Domino’s Pizza for food.

A couple of first-year Gusties are pumped to participate in tonight’s Relay.

“I can’t wait to be a part of Relay For Life this year. I think it’s going to be a great experience for an awesome cause,” Freshman Michelle Sims said.

Many first years are excited to participate in the Relay for Life tonight as it’s their first time given the opportunity to participate.

“I’m so excited for Relay For Life, I’ve always wanted to do it,” Mallory Butchko said.

Even if you haven’t been in a Relay before, don’t be scared to try something new for a great cause.

Anyone can walk for Relay For Life for a variety of reasons. For some it can be a night to spend time with friends or remember a loved one that passed away from cancer.

One of the many organizers for this event, senior Heidi Ide, has been involved with Relay For Life for many years through the organization Colleges Against Cancer.

Ide has been Co-President of Colleges Against Cancer since her Junior year.

For Heidi, Relay is more about one night where many people walk.

“The reason I walk is for my grandpa. When he lost his battle with cancer… I decided I wanted to dedicate my life to fighting back against this terrible disease,” Ide said.

Relay offers more to its participants than a walk around a track. It is a collaborative effort to fight a disease that affects millions each year. It’s also a time to educate others about what cancer does to patients and their loved ones.

Those who are suffering from it are not alone and have a support system behind them.

Gustavus is one community that backs up their members suffering from cancer.

There are several teams with a certain monetary goal. Some have surpassed their goals while others are still working towards their goals. However, contribution doesn’t just come from monetary value, people are encouraged to participate even if they’re not signed up. Every one that is there is another body helping to fight against cancer.