Photo Gallery | Donate to Fordham Football's Relay for Life Fundraiser
 
Bronx, N.Y. – Last Friday night, more than 15 members of the Fordham University football squad helped out at the annual Fordham Relay for Life in the Lombardi Fieldhouse.
 
The Rams listened to Colleen Shive, cousin of Brian Doty the President of Colleges Against Cancer and leader of the Fordham Relay for Life, as she gave an emotional caregiver speech. Shive spoke of her personal experience with the disease as her mother died of thyroid cancer.
 

Following the caregiver speech, the Rams participated in the Luminaria Ceremony, a ceremony of remembrance and hope. It symbolizes a time to grieve for those we have lost, to reflect on our own cancer experience or that of those closest to us, and to find hope that tomorrow holds the promise of a cancer-free world.
 
The night ended with a silent lap around the fieldhouse track in honor of, or in memory of, someone close who has battled cancer. This part of the ceremony provided participants the opportunity to grieve.
 
"Let each step be in remembrance of our experiences and those special people we've shared them with, a celebration of today and those with us on the track and in our hearts, and a step forward in our fight back toward a brighter tomorrow," said Doty.
 
Besides assisting at the event, the Fordham football program also helped by raising funds for the American Cancer Society through its Relay for Life fundraising page. The football squad set a goal of $2000 and met it but they are still accepting donations!
 
This year's fundraiser hits close to home for the Rams. They are raising money to support junior defensive back Caleb Ham's mother, Valarie, who is battling cancer after being diagnosed in January. The Rams are helping her and all the others who are battling cancer, along with cancer survivors, by participating in the 2016 Fordham Relay for Life.
 
American Cancer Society Relay For Life campus events serve as a powerful way to raise awareness and funds in the fight against cancer, from helping people facing the disease in your community to ensuring cancer is a thing of the past for future generations. The Relay For Life movement features campus and community events that offer an opportunity to honor the cancer survivors in your life, promote how you can reduce your cancer risk, and raise money to help find a cure. Today, with the support of thousands of student volunteers, the American Cancer Society is helping save more than 400 lives a day.