Issue date: 6/29/09 Section: News

Over $9,500 total funds were raised out of a goal of $10,000 at the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event held at Lake County Fairgrounds.


"Turnout this year was better than previous years at the start of the relay, but after the rain started some people did end up leaving," said Bradley Stevenson of the American Cancer Society.


Michelle Grant, Director of Academic Facilities and Management at PUC, indicated at the time of the event that she was hopeful the goal would be reached considering fundraising was still taking place throughout the night.


PUC qualifies for the gold team award with the amount of money raised. They were just one of three participating relay teams to earn the award.


Stevenson said PUC's overall amount raised would exceed $10,000 once all donations were counted.


Most of the PUC relay team, consisting of staff and students, had their lives touched by cancer. Lisa Calhoun, part of the wait staff for Chartwells at The Center, has a daughter who is currently fighting the disease.


Relay member Loraine Fiordelisi, Director for Career Student Services, has a son who is a two-time survivor of Hodgkin's disease. Fiordelisi has been actively involved with cancer research fundraising for 25 years. She takes part in Candle Lighters events for children with cancer.


"This is a real up beat thing, but at the same time, it's a real emotional thing," said Fiordelisi.


Other team members, such as Nancy Pacheco, a sophomore majoring in biology, are not directly touched by the disease, but were willing to come out and serve the community. Alpha Psi Lambda, the co-ed Latino interest fraternity that Pacheco belongs to, had members on the relay team.


"We're trying to give back to the community. We see campus and the surrounding area as one community and we're just trying to make it better," said Alpha Psi Lamba member Isabel Sanchez, a sophomore majoring in nursing.


Stevenson said the American Cancer Society would beat their planned amount of $114,000 for fundraising when all donations were counted with a total of $117,000.

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