Hannah Jones/Winonan

Purple is popping up everywhere. Purple ribbons were spray-painted onto snow banks, purple collection jars appeared at residence hall front desks, and a hurricane of purple flyers blew through Kryzsko Commons.

This is because this last week of February, Colleges Against Cancer kicked off this year’s Relay for Life fundraising season.

Relay for Life, an all-night fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, occurs every spring at Winona State University. Attendees stay up all night raising money, playing games and honoring those who have been affected by cancer.

The week’s purple storm is partially thanks to Jessica Reuber, a junior social work major and co-president of Winona State’s Colleges Against Cancer chapter. With the event less than two months away, Reuber’s main prerogative was getting students pumped to participate.

“A lot of people know what Relay is, but not when it’s happening—or sometimes it’s hard to commit,” she said.

This year’s event is on April 25. Even two months out, there are plenty of ways to participate. Leading up to the event, students and community members can form teams and compete to raise the most money.

Junior movement science major Katy Faber is excited to participate in the event for the first time this year.

“It’s a fun way to raise money,” she said. “People who go to the event are getting something out of it, too.”

When it comes to fundraising at the event, Reuber said, fun is a big part of the process—the more creative the fundraiser, the better. Over her years participating, she has seen teams scoring donations with Mario Kart tournaments, photo booths, bra pong and a fondue table.

“At WSU it’s so special, because it’s one organization on campus that gets everyone involved,” she said.

But for Reuber and many others, that involvement is not just for fun.

Reuber was diagnosed with skin cancer three years ago, the summer after her senior year of high school. Thanks to early detection and quick surgery, doctors were able to remove it before it could spread. Full-body checkups every three to six months serve as a constant reminder to be vigilant.

“It was scary,” she said. “I was only 18 at the time, which is very young.”

One way or another, Reuber said, cancer affects everyone. One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes.

And not everyone is as lucky as Reuber was. Her uncle lost his life due to melanoma.

“I relay because I don’t want anyone else to hear the words, ‘you have cancer,’” she said.

Faber is also personally connected to the cause. Her grandmother is a breast cancer survivor. Although she has been in remission for 20 years, Faber and her family remain wary.

“Cancer is a hereditary thing,” she said. “It could affect me or my cousins or my sisters.”

Faber will be fundraising as a part of the Winona State UPAC team, which has already begun raising money with the help of a collection bucket by the ticket window. Besides that, Faber has been talking to family members about donating.

As for what she and the rest of the UPAC team will be doing at the event, the possibilities are still endless.

“We have like 15 different ideas,” she said. “We’re still debating.”

Last year’s event raised about $60,000 for the American Cancer Society. This year’s goal is to raise that number to $70,000. There are plenty of ways to get involved and rise to the challenge, and, according to Reuber, just as many reasons to do so.

“We’ve all been affected in some way,” she said.