Colleges Against Cancer
University of Pennsylvania
Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS COLLEGES AGAINST CANCER? WHAT IS RELAY FOR LIFE? HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT?
Penn Colleges Against Cancer is the name of the organization that organizes the big fundraiser event called Relay for Life that is held on Franklin Field every spring. Colleges Against Cancer also sponsors other fundraising events during the year to raise money for the American Cancer Society, essentially CAC is the college branch of the American Cancer Society. In short, Colleges Against Cancer is responsible for organizing Relay for Life. In general, though, people will refer to the organization as “Relay” (instead of Colleges Against Cancer) because Relay for Life is a renowned fundraising event that happens on college campuses and high schools all over the country.
WHAT DOES CAC DO BESIDES RELAY?
CAC organizes other fundraising events during the year--such as a cappella competitions and exercise classes that all benefit the ACS. We also organize trips to the local Hope Lodge and cook meals for cancer patients, as well as take trips to the Ronald McDonald House on 39th & Chestnut to entertain the kids there.
WHAT DOES BEING A CAC/RFL COMMITTEE MEMBER ENTAIL?
Depending on which committee you’re on, it can range from helping recruit sponsors for the Relay event itself or other profit share we might have during the year to helping recruit survivors for the Relay event. We also have publicity committees with social media campaigns to be worked on, and logistical aspects to planning our events. There’s also a lot of campus outreach in the work that CAC does, but overall there’s a number of things you can involve yourself in as a CAC/RFL committee member.
WHY DONATE TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY?
The American Cancer Society is one of the largest cancer non-profits in the country, and money donated to the ACS assists in the fight against cancer in a number of ways including: Patient Support, Research, Prevention, and Detection and Treatment.
HOW MANY PENN STUDENTS ARE NORMALLY INVOLVED?
Every year, approximately 1,000 Penn undergrad and grad students are involved with Relay for Life.
HOW CAN I RAISE MONEY FOR MY TEAM?
There are a number of different ways your Relay for Life team can raise money both before and during the event. If you visit our Team Fundraising page, you can find a number of examples as well as contact information for the Team Fundraising chairs.
HOW DO I SIGN UP?
Just go to relayatpenn.org, click “Sign Up” and follow the instructions! It’s $10 to sign up.