On Friday, April 20, more than 300 St. Thomas and St. Catherine University students gathered in the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex for the annual Relay for Life.

St. Thomas sophomore Katie Tubbs said her family’s history with cancer inspired her to walk all night.

“All four of my grandparents have had cancer. Two of them have passed away,” Tubbs said. “It just seems that every year I can’t go a full year knowing of someone else who has had cancer.”

The walk also served as a reminder of past struggles for St. Kate’s cancer survivor senior Kiah Bizal.

“I had Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” Bizal said. “Right after I had cancer; I did (Relay for Life) for the first time. This is my third relay.”

Bizal said the Relay for Life event continues to be successful at bringing people together.

“I love getting all my friends involved,” Bizal said. “We love coming here and staying up all night and having a lot of fun.”

Even if some students lost a night of sleep, Tubbs said change is a result of how people channel their actions.

“We’re really here to honor those who have had cancer, to remember those we have lost,” Tubbs said. “This is a way we can fight back and really channel our experience with cancer into something positive.”

Katherine Curtis can be reached at curt1354@stthomas.edu.