One step closer to Relay

Cohort 11 Relay For Life

News at 11 team fundraising goal surpassed: Photo courtesy of American University Relay for LifeThe Relay for Life at American University is less than a month away and the American Observer staff — the school’s interactive journalism graduate program’s Cohort 11 — has surpassed our goal of raising $2,000 for cancer research.

When we discovered that a classmate had recently been diagnosed with cancer, we wanted to do something for her. Just a few weeks ago we discovered a Relay for Life event will be held at the school on April 17. For almost 22 months, we have spent nearly every Saturday together at the school and it seemed so appropriate that this would be the place we’d come together to support one of our own, as well as everyone else who has been affected by the disease.

So far, eight members of our class — plus two friends and one woman’s daughter — have formed the team News at 11 and signed up to participate in the event, where team members take turns walking on a track all night to raise money for cancer research.

As of Saturday morning, the team had raised $2,085. Fifty-seven teams — 347 participants — had signed up to participate in the event at American University and have raised $20,310. University participants have a goal of raising $40,000 as a whole.

News at 11 is still trying to come up with fundraisers we can hold at the event. Some have been practical and involve putting our collective journalism skills to good use — professional photos and personalized news stories, anyone? — and others have just been silly. (What about a Snuggie fashion show?) We welcome your ideas.

We will have full coverage of the Relay for Life in our May 1 edition of the Observer.

Sponsor News at 11 by visiting our team page.

--Written by Meredith Williams