Chris Lunden addresses the Lock Haven University student body at the Fall 2009 Founder's Day Convocation

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Chris Lunden, president of the Lock Haven University Student Cooperative Council, has recently been appointed to the National Colleges Against Cancer Executive Council as Relay For Life Chairperson, The National Relay Advisory Team as the Collegiate Representative, and the Pennsylvania Collegiate Task Force. Lunden, a junior from Frenchtown, New Jersey, is majoring in recreation management, and is using the skills he is learning to get everyone in the university involved in Relay for Life activities.

Lunden who has chaired and served on the Relay for Life at Lock Haven University committee for the past two years, has guided University student groups to not just meet the goals, but shatter them. For the second straight year, the event raised more than $10,000 over the set goal. This year's goal was $25,000, but the 40 teams raised $35,252 by the end of the 12-hour event which took place in the Student Recreation Center on March 27, 2009. Since the event, the students have raised another $2,180 bringing their event total to $37,432, which is $12,432 over goal! Lunden became involved with Relay for Life in the 5th grade with his Boy Scout troop, and got heavily involved in 2006, when a friend’s mother passed away from cancer, and he has been doing everything in his power to get closer to finding a cure. In the four years of the event at LHU, the university students have raised a total of $73,942 to help fight cancer.

As the National Chairperson, Lunden will assist schools in improving the Relay 5 D’s, which include Leadership Development, Event Development, Team Development, Survivor Development, and Fundraising Development. Customer service training for college students to improve their relations with the surrounding communities will also be a focus. Lunden states: “I really feel that a Relay for Life should be one of the biggest events that happens on a campus, not because of the money raised, but because of the camaraderie that it instills in the students, faculty, staff, and administrators.”

At the state and campus levels Lunden will be responsible for getting young adults involved in the mission of the American Cancer Society and assuring the success of their campus Relay events. With the 2009-2010 Relay season on its way, the LHU committee is already hard at work to make this the best year yet! Celebrating not only the 5th anniversary of Relay For Life at the university, but also continuing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Relay For Life nationwide, volunteers are already working hard to spread the mission of the American Cancer Society.

Lunden has met with the Athletics Department to collaborate on different aspects of the event as well as use the sporting events to spread the mission. “All it takes is for one person to be touched by a “mission moment” and we have been successful,” Lunden said, “We need to make this not only a one night fight but a year long fight. It is our goal to get everyone in the university involved… clubs, organizations, administrators, food service contractors, faculty, staff, and anyone else who wants to help. We all participate for different reasons but with the goal (a cure) in sight, we can continuously make this the biggest event on campus!”

The Colleges Against Cancer chapter already has many fundraising events in the works for this year. A purse bingo featuring all Vera Bradley items will once again be back this year! The 5th Annual Relay For Life is scheduled for March 27, 2010 in the Student Recreation Center.
Progress is being made - 10.5 million cancer survivors are alive today. This is more than ever before in American history. After all, a world with less cancer is a world with more birthdays!