By Laura Angus, OU Student Writer

OU students, faculty, staff and community members walked through the night to raise money for the American Cancer Society at Oakland University’s second annual Relay for Life event Oct. 7-8.

With 19 teams and 305 participants, the Relay for Life raised more than $30,000 to support cancer research while honoring survivors and remembering cancer victims.

“OU students showed once again that they know how to fund raise,” said Jeremy Agler, American Cancer Society community development director. “There’s always room for improvement, but I’m very pleased with the turnout.”

The number of attendees was bigger than last year’s event, however, less money was raised. Meghan Anderson, president of OU’s Colleges Against Cancer, the organization that sponsored the event, said she thinks the hurricanes that devastated the Golf Coast affected the Relay for Life donations.

“We still had a pretty good turn out,” she said. “Thirty-thousand dollars is still a lot of money.”

Planning for next year’s Relay for Life at OU already is under way. For more information, visit the Relay for Life at Oakland University Web site or contact Agler at (586) 283-8000 or jeremy.agler@cancer.org.

“We’re in the process of finding ways to get information out there and get more people from the university involved,” Anderson said.

Last week, Colleges Against Cancer had a table in the Oakland Center about Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The group also may hold a banquet dinner to raise money for the American Cancer Society.