Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) hosted their Relay For Life kick-off party to welcome participants and those interested in the event on Feb. 15 in Cal State Fullerton’s Garden Café. The club’s fourth annual relay begins April 20 at 5 p.m. and will take place over a 24-hour period. The event will be held at the Engineering and Computer Science lawn.

William Camargo / Daily Titan

Danielle Riniolo, 22, a creative art photography major, is the event chair for the club and has been an active member with the club for the past two years.

“I pretty much live Relay,” said Riniolo.

Riniolo went on to say that this event is important to cancer survivors and those who have had a personal experience with cancer. This year, CAC set its goal at raising $40,000 and having 1,000 participants in the event.

“When you talk to the survivors, especially the ones that have benefited from the American Cancer Society (ACS), you start to see physical signs of what you are doing from fundraising,” Riniolo said.

Christina Gerberding, a speaker at the kick-off party, was told in 2007 that her 5-year-old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia.

“I thought I was going to have to bury my 5-year-old,” said Gerberding.

Gerberding participated in the Brea and Yorba Linda relays for the ACS in order to raise funds and awareness for people who are going through cancer.

“I want to give back to people who gave to me, for the research, and for the awareness,” Gerberding said.

Riniolo said some patients would not be able to attend their treatments without the ACS.

“You have survivors coming up to you at the event and hugging you and kissing you and telling you thank you,” Riniolo said.  “It’s so rewarding and we know it’s a really important cause.”

CAC promotes the bulk of their fundraising online. Teams can raise funds through their page when they sign up for the relay. Each participant has their own fundraising page and can send their link to people. Potential donors can click on the participant’s page and contribute through credit card.

The club holds fundraisers both on and off campus. Students host bake sales on Titan Walk and have restaurant fundraisers where 20 percent of the check goes to the club.

David Wooding, 19, a business finance major, is a member of the club and said luminaires are bags decorated in memory of a person who has either passed away from cancer, has survived cancer or is battling cancer.

“We light them up around the track and we walk around them in memory of everybody whose been affected by cancer,” said Wooding.

CAC sell the luminaires for $10 each, and all the proceeds are donated to the ACS.

During the first week in April, CAC will host Paint the Campus Purple. This week will consist of fundraisers and guest speakers ranging from medical professionals with the ACS to past and current cancer patients.

Relay for Life Manager Maria Serna works with CSUF and different local communities to help organize events. Serna said everyone knows somebody dealing with cancer. Serna lost her father, grandmother, aunt and four family friends to various types of cancer.

“Cancer has impacted my life in many ways,” said Serna. “It’s taken away too many people that I love.”

Serna named multiple programs the ACS provides for patients. One program, Road to Recovery, drives the patient from their home to their medical appointment and back.

Another program, Look Good…Feel Better, teaches patients how to take care of their skin during their treatment and provides face creams. The program also teaches women how to put on their makeup and their wigs.

Serna is confident that CSUF will exceed their goal and have a better turnout than last year.

“I’m really excited because this year we are ahead of where we were last year,” Serna said.  “We have 21 teams signed up.”

Riniolo said the point is to make a team and split up the work. Participants should take turns walking the track and there should always be at least one person from a team walking.

“It’s more about symbolism because cancer never sleeps, so neither do we in these 24 hours,” Riniolo said.