Lake Forest College: Relay and race raise over $50,000 for cancer research

Lake Forest College’s Relay for Life and Ry’s Run brought together over 700 participants and raised over $50,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 was the College’s third annual Ry’s Run, a 5K race where students, faculty and staff run the residential streets of Lake Forest. The event is in remembrance of Ryann McCarthy `10, who was a standout goaltender on the women’s hockey team before being diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer that took her life on July 28, 2009. Casey Flynn `12 won the t-shirt design contest this year. Over $1,000 was raised by the participants.


Women’s head ice hockey coach, Carisa Zaban, helped organized the event this year. “It was nice to see so many students who are not involved with athletics participate in the race,” she said of the campus community. McCarthy’s family was also there to support the race.


The College also hosted its sixth annual Relay for Life event on Friday, April 20. Over 500 participants signed up online for the event, more than ever before. They helped raise almost $50,000 and they’ll keep accepting donations until August.

“Relay is an event that a third of this campus participates in,” said Elyse Brey `12. “The fact that we can get that many people to commit themselves to a full night to fighting cancer is truly amazing.”

Dr. Bruce Waldholtz, a member of the board of directors for the Southeast region of the American Cancer Society, and cancer survivor Diana Nawrocki `01 spoke that evening. The Relay for Life committee was led by Brey, Luke Butts `12, and Lexie Czarnecki `13 with the help of Pat Doggett.

“I could not be any more proud of those who were involved in the event and who helped raise funds for the cause,” said Butts. “Relay for Life continues to evolve and grow into something that was not even fathomable when it was initiated on campus in 2004.”

University Press Release here.