Eric Furry began working with Relay for Life after his fiancee, Lyndsey Adams, was diagnosed with cancer in high school.
Years later, as the president of Colleges Against Cancer at Ball State University, he said he hopes to help raise awareness about cancer and believes it can be beaten.
"My fiancée had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and after going through that with her, it made me want to give back and do something to help," he said.
Furry said when you get the news that someone has cancer, it's scary at first.
He said that, at first, he felt uneducated about the topic, and all the information started to overwhelm him.
"Then you see she is getting better and they are finding new ways to cope with the situation," he said. "You see that it isn't as bad as it was when the information first hit you. It's negative at first, but you find positive and it made me want to give back."
After meeting Adams in high school and still being sweethearts in college, Furry said the experience brought them together and helped him to remember the important things in life.
"You feel like you can't do anything at first," he said. "You are like, ‘Well, all I can do is [offer] moral support.' But I think that is the most important part."
Furry said the small things, like getting food or helping with homework, were small but significant ways to care.
"It also gives you the opportunity to be closer," he said. "Something like this happens, and you become aware of what's important."
Cody Adams, Colleges for Cancer committee member and Lyndsey's brother, said one day he came home from school and his sister was having surgery to remove a tumor. They had no idea it was going to be cancer.
"I was in shock when I found out she was diagnosed with cancer," he said. "Now me and my family are taking an active part in raising awareness and fighting against cancer, and we've learned how to appreciate life more," he said.
As a caregiver, Cory recalled that he was sick during her treatments and wasn't allowed to see his sister because of her low white blood cell count.
"It was tough for her not being able to enjoy the food she liked or not being able to go places because she couldn't fight off inflections," he said. "We understand how blessed we are for her to be a survivor and be in remission."
Both Adams and Furry joined Ball State's Colleges Against Cancer chapter, a nationwide collaboration of college students, faculty and staff dedicated to eliminating cancer by working to implement programs and the mission of the American Cancer Society, according to its website.
Colleges Against Cancer member Joe Young said he joined three years ago after he found out his older sister had cervical cancer,
"When you get news like that, you want to do something about it. You don't want to just sit there and let it happen," he said.
Young got a big boost of energy and drive that made him want to get involved in an organization on campus. After getting an e-mail and going to a chapter meeting on accident, he became part of Colleges Against Cancer quickly.
"When I found out [about] my older sister, who I had a very close relationship with, it really struck a chord in me that said I need to help that cause," he said.
Relay for Life, put on by the American Cancer Society, is an event that gives communities a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and fight back against the disease.
Colleges Against Cancer sponsors Ball State's Relay for Life every year.
At the event, teams of 10 to 20 people camped out at LaFollette Field and took turns walking. Each had a representative on the track at all times during the event, which went from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. due to lightning and thunder.
The event is held throughout the night to simulate the trials and tribulations of cancer, Furry said.
"It simulates the plight of a cancer patient," he said. "It gets real tiring, real cold and overwhelming to try to stay awake because, as with cancer patients, it gets to that peak where they are getting the treatment and it's hard and it's difficult, so it's important to reflect on that."
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