As part of a series of events planned for the month of April, the Mississippi State University Health Education and Wellness Department will host its third annual Relay for Life on the Starkville campus tonight at 6.
Proceeds from the event, which is coordinated by a group known as Colleges Against Cancer, will benefit the American Cancer Society, the second-largest funding agent for cancer research.
JuLeigh Baker, MSU health and wellness educator, said while they are a small group of students, CAC members have a big passion for helping prevent cancer and aiding those who have been diagnosed.
“Many of these students have had a close relationship with someone who has had cancer,” she said.
The relay will take place in the Junction of the MSU campus and will be completed by 6 a.m. Saturday.
Baker said although relays held nationally tend to last 24 hours and the event at MSU will only last 12 hours, the message that CAC and ACS are attempting to portray will not go unnoticed.
“Because cancer never sleeps, we have chosen not to do so tonight,” she said.
The ACS’s major fundraising event is Relay for Life.
So far, the they have helped fund 46 Nobel Prize-winning researchers that have discovered or developed mammograms for early detection of breast cancer, the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer and some of the newest treatment drugs for cancer, Baker said.
The ceremonies that typically kick off the evening at a Relay for Life show ACS’s mission to celebrate and remember those who have been affected by cancer, along with making a commitment to fight back against the disease.
The events include the Survivors Lap, Luminaria Ceremony and the Fight Back Ceremony. For the Survivors Lap, those who have successfully won the harsh battle against cancer will be cheered on as they walk around the Junction to the sound of ringing cowbells.
They will also be joined by their caregivers and the participating teams.
Next, the Luminaria Ceremony will take place after dark. For this ritual, the names of individuals whose lives have been affected by cancer will be read off of luminarias, or sand-filled bags with a lit candle inside of them. During this time, participants will walk a lap of silence out of respect for these individuals.
During the last major event, known as the Fight Back Ceremony, all those present will make the personal commitment to do anything in their power to help the ACS succeed in its effort to achieve a world with “less cancer, more birthdays”.
Those who are unable to participate in the walk but would still like to join in the fight against cancer are encouraged to come out and support the teams during the relay and/or donate in person or online.
Baker said people who cannot participate are also welcome to attend the barbecue lunch fundraiser today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Junction. 
For more information on Relay for Life, visit relayforlife.org/msstate or contact JuLeigh Baker at [email protected].