On April 25. 2025, the Red Cross club at Baruch College Campus High School will host a Relay for Life in the cafeteria and gym from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. According to event organizers, Relay for Life was organized to contribute to the fight against cancer, all whilst providing a space for students to have fun and build a stronger sense of community.

During the event, Relay for Life will have food, games and prizes in the cafeteria, and the gym will be turned into a track. Amanda Benowitz, the club advisor, said all money made from Relay for Life will go to the American Cancer Society for cancer research and to help cancer patients.

“Our money goes to some place called the Hope Lodge,” Benowitz said. “And the Hope Lodge is a place where they allow cancer patients to stay for free because we’ve fundraised so much money.”

Benowitz also said club members have been campaigning and trying different ways to promote the event.

“We’ve created [five] teams: a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior and a staff team,” Benowitz said. “And whichever team raises the most money will have a pizza party.”

According to Benowitz, tickets are available for $25–with a discount on Tuesdays using code ‘TUESDAY’ for $5 off. Additionally, she said donors will also receive a shirt, sticker and luminaria bag, which will be used at the event. 

The luminaria bags, Benowitz said, are used to commemorate those who have fought cancer, and was a meaningful part of the event to her when she was a part of Relay for Life as a student in middle and high school.

Successful in bringing this to Baruch, Benowitz talks about the luminaria bags at last year’s Relay for Life event.

“We all went down together and turned the lights off in the gym, and we had all the luminaria bags lit up. During that silent lap, everyone just read what was on the luminaria bags,” Benowitz said. “I cried. I know a lot of people who cried. It’s very emotional when you’re reading how each person in this school has been affected by cancer; also eye-opening because you didn’t know that many people have been.”

The effect of cancer is what brings many to the club, members say, and many event organizers have in some way been affected by cancer themselves.

For the club’s president, Fahad Hussain, his cousin had cancer.

“For me, I had a cousin who used to have breast cancer, so I felt, to a personal extent,” Hussain said. “It showed me that I don’t ever want people to lack the necessary care that they deserve, especially in America, because I know our health system can be a little messed up sometimes.”

This personal connection along with inspiration from a previous red cross member, Hussain said, is what pushed him to pursue his position as president. But, he said, his position doesn’t take away the importance of collaboration.

“I would definitely say, though, we are all the president, because this is a team effort, and none of us would be able to do it alone,” Hussain said.

Sheyla Saenz–another member who manages the Relay for Life website–also shares similar experiences and motivations on joining.

“I’ve had people in my family who’ve had cancer, so just knowing that in some way I’m helping other people with cancer research is nice to know,” Saenz said. “I just like doing things that can help other people.”

At its core, Camila Cedeño–the club’s social media manager, who is also in charge of the registration process for Relay for Life–said, the event is on recognizing cancer’s effects and honoring those affected.

“We’re not gonna lose the focus, which is celebrating people who have fought their battle against cancer, and are still continuing to fight to this day,” Cedeño said. “It’s a very nasty, ugly disease that just comes out of nowhere and disrupts people’s lives.” 

But a lot of effort goes into making an event like this successful, organizers say.

“We do have four different committees, and in each committee we have students,” Hussain said. “We have a fundraising committee, activities committee, decor committee, and [sponsorship committee], and these committees do come hand-in-hand together. They [each] have a specific role they have to execute.”

Last year was the first year Relay for Life began at Baruch, Hussain said, and was an achievement despite issues.

“Last year was actually quite beautiful. It was a bit rushed because it was for our first year doing it, so we didn’t really know our way around it,” Hussain said. “It was definitely a little stressful at first, but as time went on, everything started to come together, and people started enjoying it because they realized what Relay for Life was.”

According to Hussain and Benowitz, the club has high hopes for this year’s event, and lofty goals for future events. Both of them share the ambition of expanding Relay for Life to an area outside of school.

“I would love to rent out the East River Track so then we can have all our carnivals in the field,” Benowitz said. “And then people can just walk the track throughout the entire time because that’s what it was when I was growing up.”

Hussain thinks this will also help the funding.

“I want to hopefully bring it on to an actual field in the future, because that’s what Relay for Life is. Usually, I’m walking around a track, and I want to make it bigger and hopefully open up to more people, “Hussain said, “If we open it to the community itself, you would get way more money for the fundraisers, and it would just be a nicer event.”

Nonetheless, the event’s meaning won’t be lost in these limitations, event organizers say, and this year will hopefully be successful. 

“It’s really an event that opens your eyes to the cruelty of the world. [And] it just helps knowing that you’re able to provide people comfort, knowing that they’re being hurt,” Hussain said. “That’s what Relay for Life is all about, just showing the good of humanity.”