This July, the students, faculty, and staff of the Ross Medical Education Center campus in Elyria, Ohio participated in the local Relay for Life walk event to raise money for the American Cancer Society. After weeks of reaching out to local businesses, the campus was able to put together raffle baskets containing tickets to a variety of local attractions and businesses. They also put together a bake sale for the event which included cookies, brownies, Rice Krispy treats, and water for the walkers.
This event and the American Cancer Society are important to many at the campus for a variety of reasons. Melissa, Davis, a current student in the Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration program, shared about her relationship with the organization, “Relay for Life is a big deal to me. I am a three year survivor of cervical cancer and have also been a caretaker for my spouse’s grandmother and grandfather who had breast cancer and Parkinson’s disease. With the support of groups offered by Relay, they helped me feel like I am not alone.”
Others at the campus felt similarly. Career Development Representative Val Singler said, “the Relay for Life event was very moving. It feels great to know that I work with students, faculty and staff that care so much about helping others.” Nichole Justus, Elyria’s Assistant Campus Director of Admissions, agreed, “I could not have been more excited to help plan and prepare for The Relay for Life. Knowing that we here at the campus could make a difference in the lives of others made planning and asking for donations that much easier. We were lucky to get the feedback that we did from Cleveland organizations who were willing to donate to the cause and together we were able to almost triple our goal!”
After all their hard work and commitment, the campus was able to raise $1,442.00 for the American Cancer Society! The Elyria campus wants to say thank you for everyone’s contribution to such a great cause. They know that without the support from local businesses along with their students and staff, they would not have been able to raise nearly three times our original goal! The excitement is already being used to motivate the campus to start planning for next year’s event.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can help, visit the American Cancer Society Facebook page, the Relay for Life Facebook page, or the American Cancer Society website at www.cancer.org.