Staten Island, NY – In raising $1,400, a team comprised of Seahawk student-athletes exceeded its expressed goal of raising $1,000 at the 2012 Staten Island Relay For Life, a main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society, that was held June 2 on the Wagner College .
 
Wagner athletics was one of 40 organizations, families and companies that transformed the inner portion of the oval in front of Main Hall into a tent village en route to raising a total of more than $100,000.

While the main objective is to raise money for cancer research and cancer patients, the event also serves to spread cancer awareness, celebrate the lives of survivors, remember those who lost their lives to cancer, and unite a community in the fight against cancer. It is estimated that Relay For Life events have raised over $3 billion to date. Originating in the United States in 1985, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries. Relay events are held in local communities, college campuses, military bases, and in cyberspace. 
 
The format for Relay For Life involves members of each organization camping out around a track with all members taking turns walking around the track for the duration of the event, which in Wagner's Relay For Life Day, lasted from 2:00 pm registration to midnight.

Following the opening ceremony, Relay For Life opens with the Survivors Lap, where survivors lead the way around the track while being honored and applauded by all participants, family, and friends. Being a part of the Survivors Lap allows survivors to celebrate what they've overcome while inspiring and motivating their community to fight back against cancer.
 
As the sun sets at a Relay For Life event, luminaria lining the track illuminate the night and a hush falls over the event that had been filled with the sounds of celebration. Participants walk the track lined with luminara bags in reflection. Relay For Life participants, survivors and caregivers remember loved ones lost to cancer and honor those battling the disease through the luminaria bags, with each one personalized with the name, photo, message or drawing in memory or honor of a friend or loved one who has been affected by cancer.
 
Steve Ciocci (Royersford, PA / Spring-Ford), a community leader, Dean's List member, starter on the Seahawk football team, and winner of a 2012 Civic Engagement Recognition Day Award as a result of his work in the Wagner College and Staten Island community, spearheaded Wagner athletics' participation in this year's event.
 
Ciocci has been taking part in Relay For Life Events approximately once per year since he was in the 11 years old.
 
“When I was in the sixth grade, I took part in an event called “Kids Fighting Cancer” and I've done at least one every year since,” he said. “My teammates and I, we all raised money individually by asking family members and friends to contribute. My mom baked a bunch of brownies and cookies. We would sell our goods to people walking by and we were also walking around with baskets.”
 
More than 30 Wagner student-athletes took part in the day with members of every Seahawk athletic team, the majority of which were members of the football team.