For freshman Catherine Connelly, Relay For Life Friday night was about much more than the $31,675 raised for cancer research.

Just over three months ago, Connelly’s mother died after a 12-and-a-half-year battle with colon cancer. Connelly shared her story as part of the event’s luminaria ceremony, which honors those who have died from the disease.

“If my mom were here, she would want me to do it. So, that’s what I did,” Connelly said. “And I know she’s watching … and she’s just like, ‘I’m just so proud of you.’”

When Connelly was 7 years old, her mother was diagnosed with cancer, which was already Stage 4. Her mother had surgery that extended her life, but Connelly said it was never easy.

“I really cherished life going through this because it’s been my whole life, basically. Now I’m 19, and it’s been 12 and a half years so it’s what I know. I have such a different perspective on life than a lot of people do.”

That different perspective comes from everything Connelly’s mother taught her while she was still alive.

“She taught me to be strong. She taught me to never give up,” Connelly said. “Being the only daughter, you want to have your mom last forever, but it just makes you cherish life more. It makes you cherish everything that you have because you don’t know what’s going to happen next.”

Colleges Against Cancer President Caity Kubicek said the event was “very successful.”

“I just love how on a college campus, people can come together with their families and professors and faculty and just help make sure that there’s still hope that we can someday find a cure for cancer,” Kubicek said.

The group had a goal to raise $50,000 according to Kubicek, which was not reached. Four hundred eighty seven students participated in the event, though, something Connelly said was inspiring.

“We relay for the continuation of life. Even beyond cancer, even beyond our lives because there’s always a greater good coming,” Connelly said. “We just don’t know what is going to happen.”

Baihly Warfield can be reached at warf3860@stthomas.edu.