Every fifth line marked a mile.

Scribbled with blue marker on his left arm, each line paid tribute to one of Mark Frazier’s best friends, a bone cancer survivor.

“When he was diagnosed with bone cancer, he got a lot of support,” said Frazier, a freshman forest resources management major at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. “He ended up having to get all of his bone marrow pulled out of his leg. He survived but he couldn’t run anymore. So me and my friends decided that we were going to put together a Relay team for him.”

At 1:40 a.m. Sunday, the final five tick-marks were added to Frazier’s arm as he and Peter LeDuc finished a 26.2-mile marathon around the Dome.

The night wasn’t for them, though. It was for Frazier’s friend Ryan Euler and all the people who struggle with the effects of cancer, Frazier said.

The event, which is held nationwide and sponsored by the American Cancer Society, worked to raise awareness about cancer and fundraise for cancer research. The 13th annual Syracuse University Relay For Life took place in the Carrier Dome from 6 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday.

“For the past five years I’ve been running a marathon of Relay,” Frazier said. “It’s not a night for me. It’s one night to run for him. It’s not my body. It’s his.”

This year, Syracuse University’s fundraising goal is $100,000 to be reached by August 31. As of Sunday night, 95 teams comprised of 1,386 participants raised $63,433.66 according to the organization’s page on the Relay For Life website.

“We want to push that so we can reach our goal,” said Adriana Sereno, SU’s American Cancer Society representative and Syracuse University alumna. “SU’s Relay used to bring in like $150,000 but since then it’s slowly gone down, so we’re really trying to bring that energy back up this year.”

The event kicked off with 26 people, a combination of survivors and caregivers, taking the first lap around the Dome to the sound of the SU Marching Band playing a cover of Fall Out Boy’s “Light Em Up.” Participants stood on the edge of the football field, cheering on the walkers. After the second lap with Upstate University Hospital medical staff, a reception dinner was held for the attending survivors as students, teachers and community members flooded the field to begin the 12-hour fundraising walk.

Later that night, the luminaria ceremony began, with white paper bags lighting up around the venue. An hour later, Jamie Goldfarb, a senior public health major, and Taylor Kennedy, also a senior psychology major, cut off 8 and 10 inches of their hair, respectively, to donate to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program, which partners with the American Cancer Society to provide wigs for women battling cancer.

“I’ve been on the Relay committee for four years now, so I figured why not?” Goldfarb said. “It’s a powerful moment in time because everyone knows someone who’s been affected by cancer. It’s a time to reflect and remember those who we’re fighting for.”

Published on April 19, 2015 at 9:37 pm

Contact: kasotelo@syr.edu