Relay for Life and cancer’s effect on students and community

Last year, over half a million people in the United States succumbed to some form of cancer. It is the number two leading cause of death in this country, second only to heart disease. Countless families are touched by it in some way, and despite technological and medical advances over the last few decades, the search for a cure is far from over.

The biggest weapon in the fight against cancer has always been the financial support that goes toward research and the development of potential cures. Every year around the world, various events like athletic competitions, memorial dinners and even car washes are held to raise money for scientists and patients alike.

One popular event on Rowan University’s campus is Relay for Life, an overnight walk-a-thon that is held not only here in Glassboro, but in venues throughout the country. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life serves three main purposes: to raise both money and awareness, unite the community and honor those who are in all stages of cancer treatment, including the deceased and those in remission.

According to the event’s Web site, at least 3.5 million Americans each year participate in a Relay for Life from over 5,000 communities across the country. This number doesn’t include groups from more than 20 other countries worldwide. Though it was only founded 25 years ago, the popularity and success of relay is growing steadily with time.

One of the co-chairs for the April 16 relay at Rowan, junior biology major Mary Pinter, has more than one personal tie to the search for a cancer cure. Pinter’s life was first touched by the disease when a grade school teacher underwent treatment for ovarian cancer. This shock would be followed by the subsequent diagnosis of two aunts, a close friend’s mother, and most recently her grandmother, who passed away following complications from esophageal cancer last year.

It was the diagnosis of a friend’s mother in 2001 that encouraged Pinter to sign up for her first Relay for Life.

“We were around her all the time, so she was a huge influence on me and that was really my main reason for joining,” Pinter said.

While there, she met Patty Bodak, who would go on to become both her college roommate and fellow co-chair for the Rowan relay this year. While both have been active relay participants for several years now, this is the first year that the pair has been directly involved in the planning process.

On Friday night, 640 members of the Rowan community assembled into 75 teams to walk the opening laps. Together, they raised over $31,000 that will go directly to the American Cancer Society for medical research. Teams were created by members of on-campus clubs and organizations, academic departments and groups of friends wanting to walk together.

The top fundraising team was the university’s biology department, which brought in over $2,300.

Also among the participating groups was Circle K, an international service organization sponsored by Kiwanis. Zitelli said that members of Circle K have participated as individuals before, but this is the first year they walked as a team.

“I knew that there would be a lot of people who would be interested, so I decided to take it upon myself [to form the team],” said Jennette Zitelli, team captain and Circle K secretary.

Rowan Television Network team captain Dominic Trombino’s feelings toward the relay are bittersweet.

“[RTN] thought that it would be a lot of fun for the whole club, a bonding experience,” Trombino said. “This year, however, relay does mean a little bit more to me personally, as my best friend’s sister recently passed away from cancer.”

Not all relay participants walked to honor a lost love one; in fact, one of the event’s highlights is the first lap for those currently battling cancer and those who have beaten it. As to the comparison of cancer to an enemy in war, south Jersey native and breast cancer survivor Anita Soar will be cancer-free for a decade next year.

“Instead of demonizing the cancer, learning to ‘own’ it and have faith in my own being took a lot of the fear out of it for me,” Soar said.

There are also survivors that are members of the Rowan community. Kathy Rozanski, the university director for alumni relations, has been in breast cancer remission for two years now. At 47, Rozanski went for a routine mammogram on the same day her mother left the hospital following breast cancer treatment.

“I was so proud to say [to her], ‘Hey, I’m getting checked out,’ and then I got the phone call,” Rozanski said.

The next year was a painful one for the Rozanski family, but for Kathy, being open was her biggest weapon.

“I didn’t hide being scared,” Rozanski said. “Some people curl up in a ball … I needed to talk about it. I had to beat it. It wasn’t going to beat me.”

The unwavering support of family and friends, coupled with their deep faith, saw both women through to recovery. Soar and Rozanski have since both participated in past Race for the Cure events for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Other than the relay held at Rowan, there are two major affiliates of the foundation holding races this year: central and southern New Jersey on Oct. 3 and Philadelphia on May 9. For more information about these races, visit komencsnj.org or race.komenphiladephia.org.

Despite soaking rains on Friday, attendance and morale at the relay remained high. According to Pinter, they are closing in on their $41,000 goal and are still accepting donations online.

“It’s always an amazing experience,” Pinter said. “It doesn’t matter how many people are there, how much money we raise, or what the weather’s like. It still resonates with everyone and is a powerful experience.”

To donate to Rowan’s Relay for Life or to learn more, visit their Web site at relayforlife.org/rowanuniversitynj.

Did you know…

* Almost 1.5 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer last year. Of these, 48,000 were from New Jersey.
* Cancer can be found in virtually every part of the body, including the eyes, tongue, blood and bones.
* Prostate cancer was the most common diagnosis in men for 2009, accounting for 25 percent of all new cancer discoveries. For 27 percent of female patients, the diagnosis was breast cancer.
* Breast cancer affects one in every eight women—that’s almost 13 percent. Over 190,000 women were diagnosed last year along with nearly 2,000 men.
* Lung cancer was the most common diagnosis overall in 2009, with 200,000 new cases. The leading cause of lung cancer is smoking. The longer a person smokes, the greater the risk for not only lung cancer, but mouth and throat varieties, too.