Exeter, NH (May 30, 2007)—Members of the student activities and service clubs of Phillips Exeter Academy hosted the first mini “Relay for Life” earlier this month, raising $11,000 for the American Cancer Society. The event was held Saturday, May 19, in PEA’s Love Gymnasium, from 7:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m., and was open only to the PEA community.

This combo event—carnival, relay and luminaria ceremony—attracted 400-plus students, faculty, staff and alumni/ae. During the evening, 24 student teams of 8-15 members each took part in a walking relay; and a festival, where there were card games, break-dancers, a yard sale, massages, palm readings, bake and beverage sales, face painting and performances by local singers and bands. Members of teams wore matching, themed costumes, including top hats, tye-dyed and matching T-shirts, feathers, ’80s dress, evening dresses, hats, shorts, sweats and sneakers.

“A core group of 10 students made up a committee established solely for the purpose of planning, promoting and hosting this first-time event,” says PEA Community Service Coordinator Laurie Loosigian. “Having this specific student committee really helped to make this event a success.”

The committee was looking for an activity that all students, even athletes, who do not normally participate in ESSO because of scheduling conflicts, could participate in. “The event’s planners were looking for first-timers who wanted to give this value-laden and fun-time activity a try,” Loosigian says.

The mini relay culminated in a luminaria ceremony, with lighted, white paper bags each inscribed with the name of a person who died of or suffered with cancer. Each bag—sponsored by a donation of $5 or more—was linked with tiny, clear Christmas lights, creating a large oval around the gym’s indoor track. The ceremony was led by testimonies from Academy faculty and staff; and included the “lighting” of the bags; singing of “Amazing Grace”; and a reading of the names of local residents and those related to Exonians who succumbed to or survived the disease. There also was a silent, somber walk around the indoor track by all relay participants.

“This year’s event emphasized team fundraising—$4,000 was raised before the event and $7,000 was raised during the event. This amount was a huge success for the local American Cancer Society community, which has a long list of designated programs due to receive a portion of this year’s earnings. A few of those programs include:

• Cure 800-ACS-2345, a cancer hotline
• The website: www.cancer.org
• Research, education, advocacy and services
• Reach for Recovery, a mentor matching program
• Look Good Feel Better, an Exeter Hospital program

We’re pleased with these results, and we will be making plans to host an event like this one again next year,” says Loosigian.

For further information, please contact Laurie Loosigian, at (603) 777-3584. To learn more about community service activities at Phillips Exeter Academy, visit our website page. For directions to the Academy, call (603) 777-4330. For a list of upcoming events, call (603) 777-4309.

Phillips Exeter Academy is a coeducational, independent preparatory school that was founded in 1781 and originated the system of instruction known as Harkness teaching in 1931. In the spirit of its charter to foster both goodness and knowledge, students come from a wide variety of geographic, economic, racial and religious backgrounds. The diverse student body comes from approximately 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and 26 foreign countries.