April 26, 2016
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State rowing team participated in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life on April 23-24. The event was held on the SDSU campus, which included lighting of personalized luminaria, a talent show and a campsite for the overnight walkers.
The rowing team's participation was led by senior co-captain Stephanie Schulman, who lost her father Steven to brain cancer when she was just four years old. Along with SDSU rowing alumna Olivia Kirkpatrick, Schulman led her group, Team Inspired Positive Attitude (IPA), to raise over $3,000 for the American Cancer Society.
Schulman and Kirkpatrick addressed the crowd at the opening ceremony to share how each of their lives have been affected by their fathers' battles with cancer. Joined by supporters and Team IPA, the duo led the group through the event, which ran continuously for 18 hours from Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning. Multiple members of the Aztec rowing team volunteered to walk with Schulman in shifts throughout the relay.
"We have a big team and I really wanted to get them all involved with Relay For Life," said Schulman. "My teammates knew how much work Olivia and I put into raising money for this event and how passionate we are about the cause. It was really nice to look out into the crowd during our opening ceremony speech and see my SDSU teammates. Whether it's on the water, in land training or outside of school, we all support each other. This team is my family."
For more information on the Relay for Life at San Diego State, please visit the American Cancer Society website here.