Coastal Carolina University's Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) placed fifth in a national competition sponsored by the American Cancer Society in late January. The CAC student organization coordinates the annual Relay for Life fundraiser set for April 8 at CCU. The walk is open to the public.

The national competition, "We>Me," awarded sunglasses for all participants and an inflatable Relay for Life arch to the teams that registered the most participants during the week of Jan. 16-22. CCU registered 222 participants, and the relay participants raised $4,600 during the challenge.

CCU started Relay for Life events on its campus in 2007. There are currently 441 registered participants, and the team has raised nearly $22,000. The goal for this year is $100,000. The money raised from this event benefits the American Cancer Society.

Relay for Life is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Fundraising for the event is done in the weeks leading up to the actual walk. The walk is between six and 24 hours, and teams are required to have at least one person walking at all times. According to the American Cancer Society, this is "to signify that cancer never sleeps. Cancer patients don't stop because they're tired, and for one night, neither do we." Throughout the duration of the event, participants take part in activities and ceremonies to remember those who have passed due to cancer, those who are still fighting, and those affected by cancer.

Typically, CCU has more than 1,000 participants registered. Relay for Life is still looking for more teams and participants to sign up and offers everyone who individually raises $100 an event participation shirt. Relay for Life will be from noon to midnight on April 8 on Coastal Carolina University's track at 106 Chanticleer Drive on the Conway campus. March 10 is the deadline to sign up.

Current participating teams from CCU include:

- Leadership Team

- Alpha Xi Delta

- Gamma Phi Beta and Kappa Sigma

- Alpha Delta Pi and Kappa Alpha

- The Dean of Students Office

- Sigma Phi Epsilon and Sigma Kappa

- Sigma Sigma Sigma

- Phi Sigma Sigma

- Professional Golf Management

- African American Initiative for Males

- Lambda Chi Alpha

- Pi Kappa Phi

- Coastal Sea Turtle Club

- Delta Sigma Pi

- Phi Gamma Delta

- CCU Club Quidditch

- Rotaract Club

- The Wheeler Family

- CCU Club Cheerleading

- Honors Program Activities Club

Other winners in the national competition included Relay for Life of Vestavia Hills High School in Ala., Relay for Life of Bertie County, N.C., Relay for Life of Colton, Calif., and Relay for Life of West Babylon, N.Y.

To participate in Relay for Life at CCU, register at relayforlife.org/ccusc as a survivor or participant. For more information on the event, contact Troy Matheny, American Cancer Society community manager for four locations in Horry County, at 843-457-8761 or troy.matheny@cancer.org.