The campus has taken on a shade of purple this week as part of NKU’s Colleges Against Cancer chapter fundraiser for Relay for Life. Although the relay isn’t until Oct. 18, the organization is starting the fundraising early to ensure a good turnout.

Jodi Dunavan, NKU alum and American Cancer Society’s local community representative, is helping Colleges Against Cancer organize the fundraising and event. She said it may seem like a long time until the event, but these final months are busy ones and there isn’t much fundraising happening in the summertime.

Throughout the week, the organization hosted daily events where students could sign up for the relay, donate $1 in exchange for a duck that will float in Loch Norse and dress up in all purple for a day. The purple ducks will continue to be on sale until the relay and will float in Loch Norse the week leading up to the event.

Dunavan said there will be a booth in the Student Union once a month in April, May and again in September and October to buy a duck, which can be dedicated in memory or in honor of a loved one affected by cancer.

The proceeds raised during the week will go to directly to NKU’s Relay for Life event.Colleges Against Cancer wanted to start spreading the word as soon as possible to garner up some more participation and fundraising.

Last year’s participation was low, according to Dunavan. The relay raised $2,500 and had three cancer survivors attend.

“It’s more than an awareness event,” Dunavan said, but is rather a fundraising event focused on cancer survivors. That’s what the relay is about, according to Dunavan.

She said she hopes participants will bring survivors they know even if they aren’t NKU affiliated. Dunavan is already planning on bringing her mother, who is a survivor.

Relay teams and individual participants can continue to register for the event up until Oct. 18 at www.relayforlife.org/nku. There is a $10 commitment fee for each participant and each team is required to raise a minimum of $100.

For more information about Paint the Campus Purple and Relay for Life, contact Jodi Dunavan at jodi.dunavan@cancer.org.