IVC walks to cure cancer

Brittney Taylor

The quad in front of the Student Services Center at Irvine Valley College was filled with laughter and good times Nov. 17, all for the sake of raising money for finding a cancer cure.

IVC’s newest club, the Cancer Research Society, hosted “Sprint for Life,” a walk/run around the campus quad, along with several other events.

“We decided to keep it very small and intimate,” said Inter-Club Council president Isidro Zuniga. “This way all the people are in one area. We tried to bring as many things as possible as this to draw more people.”

A total of 100 percent of the profits that the club brings in will be donated to the Mayo Clinic, St. Jude Children Hospital, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and UCSF medical center.

Volunteer and walker Saman Seayah was there to help out as much as she could.

“I know people affected by cancer,” said Seayah, 19, biology. “My neighbor is really sick right now and sometimes my family has to care for her two children while she is in the hospital. I wanted to see what there was for me to do and do everything I can.”

While those who wanted to walk or run were able to do so with runs set in hourly increments. In the middle of the quad there was a bounce obstacle course and a volleyball net. Students organized mini volleyball and soccer games to appeal to as many people as possible.

“We wanted people to enjoy themselves,” said club president Rishi Saran, 21, economics. “We wanted this event to be worthwhile so that people can have fun while raising money for a good cause. We decided that instead of just having one set walk time, we would encourage more people by spreading it out. [Having] one set time might deter people and [since] it’s a weekend, some people just want to laze around.”

People could definitely hang out and “laze around” at the event in the name of a good cause. Fatburger and Jamba Juice were on site to provide free food and drinks for participants. Popcorn and free massages were also available while three separate bands played through out the event and a DJ spun.

The club also hosted a raffle and handed out free YOUCURE.org wristbands to the first 50 participants.

“IVC is only really known as a commuter school and not for the clubs on campus,” Zuniga said. “Events like this show that our students are involved and do care.”

Over $600 was raised during the five hour walk. The club hopes the next event will be bigger and better and they hope to have a much larger scale campaign.

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