By Stephanie Eisemann, News Correspondent 

Surrounded by glowing lights in paper bags, over 150 teams and more than 2,500 participants sat in a dark Matthews Arena to honor the fight against cancer in Northeastern’s annual Relay for Life event on Friday.  In an emotional, all-night show of solidarity against the horrific disease, the Northeastern community raised a total of $230,743.16 for the American Cancer Society.

Jeff Wallace, a middler studying computer science and physics serves as the online chair of the publicity sub-committee for the organizers that coordinate Relay for Life. In addition to being heavily involved in the planning of this year’s Relay, Wallace was also the top fundraiser of the night, earning $6,655 for the cause, according to the NU Relay for Life website.

In the past few years, Wallace had to face two cancer-related deaths. He was only a junior in high school when his mother passed away from Leukemia in 2009. Three years later, he lost his aunt, his mother’s best friend, to cancer as well.

“I Relay because I want to see an end of cancer related deaths,” Wallace said. “I Relay in the hope that one day, cancer will be eradicated, and no one will have to lose loved ones from such a terrible disease again.”

The thousands of participants present on Friday all walked, fundraised and socialized in support of the same cause. Many organizations on campus had teams walking and displaying their talents throughout the 12-hour event, including NU Stage, which performed a preview of their upcoming musical “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.” There were snacks, games and Frisbees galore as many Northeastern students found themselves together and united to raise money for the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The top fundraising teams were Kappa Kappa Gamma with $12,230, Sigma Kappa, Team Jean, Huskies Against Cancer and Delta Zeta.

Wallace said that thanks to the hard work and dedication of Northeastern, the Relay for Life committee exceeded its goals, of raising $222,000 and including 2,200 participants.

“The money raised by Relay For Life enables the ACS to fight to end cancer,” Wallace said. “The ACS is the second leading funder of cancer research in the US behind only the federal government … The ACS has so many great programs that depend on the fundraising efforts of Relays around the country and the world just like Northeastern’s.”

In addition to funding research, Wallace said that the ACS provides free cancer education nationally and many other advocacy efforts and services. He said one of his favorite services is Hope Lodge, which provides free lodging for cancer patients who live far away from treatment centers.

Wallace and the work of ACS has inspired many participants, including captains of the fourth place team Huskies Against Cancer. Alex Zigmont, a middler physical therapy major and Samantha Wessel, a middler marine biology major, said that their team fundraised throughout the year to earn over $10,000. They added that they are immensely proud to be part of the Northeastern Relay for Life event, especially when Northeastern placed seventh in the nation for successful college Relay events last year, and was first in the New England region.

Wessel said that her grandmother and her grandmother’s sister both had breast cancer, and it made her “realize how precious life is and how it can be taken away quickly.” Luckily, both family members are in remission.

Like Wallace and Zigmont, Wessel’s favorite part of the event is the Luminaria. During the solemn portion of the night, paper bags with messages and dedications for loved ones who have battled cancer were lit with glow sticks and line the track, and all participants took a lap in remembrance of those who have passed.

“It can be very emotional,” Wessel said. “It reminds me of how close I was and how lucky I am, knowing that others aren’t so lucky.”

“The Luminaria is really moving,” Zigmont said. “You remember why you’re here.”

Sophomore nursing major Laura Brandos walked her fifth Relay in remembrance of her cousin, who passed away from cancer six years ago at age 17.

“She was my best friend,” Brandos said.

Her cousin, three years her senior, unfortunately lost her life to a form of cancer called neuroplastoma.

“I work at [Boston Children’s Hospital] on the pediatric oncology unit,” she said. She has volunteered there for the last four years and hopes to become an oncology nurse in honor of her cousin.

        Wallace said that if he had to describe Relay for Life in one word it would be “spirited.”

“The Northeastern community is so enthusiastic and motivated and excited to be part of such a great cause.”