More than 1,800 St. John’s University students raised a record $140,341 for the fight against cancer as part of the university’s 11th annual Relay For Life.

The 12-hour event, which benefits the American Cancer Society (ACS), was conducted April 15 and 16 on the Jamaica campus.

Dr. Kathryn T. Hutchinson, vice president for student affairs, welcomed participants with praise and encouragement. “As a university community, we are incredibly proud of you, our students,” she said. “May you always remember the St. John’s way is the way of showing compassion for all and assisting those in need.”

More than 115 teams, student clubs and Greek organizations spent the night on the court of Carnesecca Arena. Marching around the perimeter, they raised funds, demonstrated support for those who have survived cancer and remembered friends and loved ones who have not.
According to ACS, St. John’s holds the 2016 N.Y.S. record for student participation to date.

Men’s Basketball Head Coach Chris Mullin, whose brother is battling cancer, also addressed the crowd.

“One of the reasons I came back to St. John’s was the sense of community here,” he said. “This is what it’s all about. When you see a group of people like this, it’s amazing.”

In his keynote, Dr. Robert A. Mangione, provost, set an upbeat tone for the evening.

“We are all here tonight because cancer has changed our lives, but we live on,” he said. Mangione is a cancer survivor whose wife succumbed to the disease. “We are not here to dread cancer or to fear it – we are here to celebrate hope. We are here to celebrate life.”