OKLAHOMA CITY – Relay for Life's effort to raise money for the American Cancer Society is a cause close to Garrett Parker.
Parker, an Oklahoma City University baseball player, has survived T Cell Lymphoma. Parker was diagnosed with this disease when he was 9. He went through four years of chemotherapy to beat it.
The Relay for Life event will take place Friday and Saturday on the OCU campus. The relay will begin at 7 p.m. Friday and will conclude at 7 a.m. Saturday. The Relay for Life format calls for teams of 8-10 members who walk around a designated path. Members of each team take turns walking throughout the night.
Parker, a junior pitcher from Duncanville, Texas, is the co-chair of the OCU Relay for Life event.
“Relay for Life is great way for people to give back and become closer to the disease,” said Parker. “The money that is raised goes a long way in terms of research and helping people pay for medication that would otherwise not be able to afford it.
“It is hard to understand the disease without having been through it, but I think that Relay for Life allows people to understand it a little more. It is a great cause that deserves to be recognized.”
The OCU men's and women's soccer teams have each raised more than $2,000 for the cause. The Stars volleyball team has also served on committees for the event.
The women's soccer team has raised $2,660 thus far, while the men's soccer team has raised $2,221. The OCU volleyball team has raised $1,065 towards its $2,000 goal.
Christin Baker, a senior women's soccer player from Edmond, Okla., has raised $1,430 for her team's goal of $2,500. Baker has raised the most among OCU individual participants as of Tuesday morning.
“The athletic department participating in this event has been a great way for the athletes to get involved on campus,” said Emily Skinner, a member of the OCU volleyball team. “It is a great way for our athletic teams to get involved and participate in an activity outside of their sports.”
If you would like to donate to Relay for Life or to the OCU athletic teams that are raising money, please visit the Relay for Life web site by clicking here.
