Florida Tech Raises More than $30,000 for Relay for Life

MELBOURNE, FLA. — A volunteer squad of 22 teams, many campus organizations, and generous faculty, staff and students at Florida Institute of Technology
worked hundreds of hours and made many donations to the 2009 Relay for Life. They brought the total raised for the American Cancer Society to $30,000-plus
for Florida Tech, a university record. Alpha Tau Omega raised the most money as a team — more than $5,000.

The event, held at the end of March in the Clemente Center, was Florida Tech’s fifth for Relay for Life and the only indoor event for this cause in Brevard
County. Participants enjoyed games, prizes, refreshments and awards as they stayed up for the all-night vigil against cancer.

One exceptional staff member, Rick Leniek, the chemistry laboratory manager, raised almost $900 on his own by running 52.5 miles in laps around the inside
of the Clemente Center. He drew big donations from his sponsors who pledged so much per mile.

Relay for Life organizers, led by physics and space sciences graduate student Sarah Snyder, brought in donations from a wide variety of events. These
included a pancake breakfast, car washes, luminaria sale, doughnut run, 50-50-raffle, Rave concert, a casino night, concert at the Sun Shoppe and Café and
lunches at Melbourne restaurants with a percent of the proceeds going to Florida Tech’s effort. Additionally, the Office of the Registrar held a lunch and
raffle and one student collected money from other students who voted with their coins as to what color he should dye his hair. “Pink” won out.

Students are already organizing for Relay for Life 2010.