Relay for Life this Friday

The theme for this year’s The Million Ram March, part of the larger Cornell College Relay for Life, is “Just Drew It,” in honor of Drew Wall, a 13-year-old battling osteosarcoma.

Cornell Volleyball’s addition to Relay for Life 2010 by the numbers:1 million pennies, 720 minutes, 378.8 miles, 13 participants, 1 goal: celebrate, remember, fight back.  This is the second year for the Million Ram March. The team goal is to raise 1,000,000 pennies and run/walk/bike 2,000,000 feet in the 12 hours that relay occurs. Although these goals may seem ambitious, the team has a special source of inspiration: Drew Wall.

Drew is a 13 year old who likes playing basketball and wrestling with his brother. He also has Osteosarcoma. In February 2008, Drew started complaining of pain in his leg. When it did not subside with rest, he went in for x-rays. What the doctors found surprised everyone: a tumor on his tibia. Within two weeks, Drew had two different surgeries and started a 10 week cycle of chemotherapy. Three months after discovering the tumor, Drew was on the operating table to have his lower leg amputated. “The decision to amputate my leg was pretty easy for me,” says Drew. “My parents had a tough time with the idea at first, but they knew it would be best for me in the long run.” Although it may seem a big decision, the prosthetic leg allows Drew to participate in many activities that would not be possible if they had salvaged the leg. To date, Drew has had nine surgeries, and is still fighting strong. His optimism and love of life is very contagious.

The Million Ram March is part of the larger, award-winning Relay for Life at Cornell. This year, there are nearly 40 teams, made up of around 300 people participating in the march.

The American Cancer Society and Cornell College invite you to support the fight against cancer at our Relay. This year, ceremonies will begin at 8 p.m. on May 14 at the Small Multi-Sport Center.