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Rider’s Lawrenceville campus turned into a place of dedication and remembrance last weekend. Students and clubs from all across the Rider community came together at the annual Relay for Life event. They gathered for one cause: fighting cancer. For weeks prior, students raised money to donate to the American Cancer Society. This year, Rider met and exceeded its initial goal of $60,000. 

A committee of 47 students, headed by Lucia White and Chris Mari-Davis, worked since October to make the event happen. “We are looking forward to increasing our goal next year and raising even more money in the fight to celebrate more birthdays!” White says.

The event, which began at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, and concluded in the early morning hours of the following morning, featured performances from the Rider Dance Team, Dance Ensemble and Step Team. There were also many fun and fundraising activities throughout the night. Four Rider students donated eight inches of their hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, an organization that makes wigs for women who have lost hair due cancer treatments.

The event also served to honor Cathy Carter-Romero, the mentor of the women’s field hockey team and Rider’s Director of Creative Services who recently passed away from cancer. The field hockey team presented a video made in her honor, and Virginia Egusquiza Taramona '15  gave a moving speech on behalf of the team. “Cathy was our team mom, and a friend to all of us. The kind of person who we knew we could count on for everything,” Taramona said. “She was always willing to help, whether it was finding a job on campus, a summer internship, or just give some advice, she was our go-to person.”

Alecia Joy Bloom, who attended Rider’s Relay for Life this year, is the founder and president of the Pink and Bloom Foundation, an organization that focuses on helping those struggling with breast cancer and their families with everyday problems like paying monthly bills and managing medical expenses, while also providing care packages for patients and outreach programs for all involved. Bloom is also a survivor of breast and Cervical cancer. 

“Rider's Relay for Life was an amazing event this year,” Bloom said. “The students gave their all and when the event concluded, Rider raised over $60,000. I am thankful to all of them for helping the American Cancer Society in our goal to end cancer.”