May 23, 2012

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University varsity athletes raised $12,600 in an American Cancer Society Relay for Life fundraiser that culminated on May 19-20.

Every Viking team participated in the event, with an athlete walking on the campus track from noon on Saturday to 8 a.m. on Sunday.

The WWU squads raising the most money were softball ($2,023), track and field ($1,869), volleyball ($1,219) and cheer ($1,092).

Relay for Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Although its main objective is to raise money for cancer research and cancer patients, the event is held to spread cancer awareness, celebrate the lives of survivors, remember those who lost their lives to cancer, and unite a community in the fight against cancer.

Earlier this year, WWU Athletics raised over $2,000 from four other fundraisers - Dig Pink (volleyball), Pink Zone (women's basketball), Coaches vs. Cancer (men's basketball), and Strikeout Cancer (softball).

This is the second year that WWU Athletics has participated in a Relay for Life. In 2011, the Vikings raised nearly $10,000.