Matt Thompson does not want to see anyone go through what he did.

When he was in high school, Thompson lost his father to cancer.

His experience inspired him to join Colleges Against Cancer, where he is now the president.

“I want to inform people on how to prevent cancer and try to end this terrible disease,” Thompson said.

As president, he said he tries to get the group involved with as much as possible.

CAC aims to eliminate cancer while providing and supporting American Cancer Society programs on college campuses.

The group attends regional summits, speaks to Charleston Middle School students about smoking and cancer awareness, and attends an annual health fair.

Each year, CAC participates in Relay for Life and this year it will take place at 6 p.m. Friday at the Campus Pond.

Lisa Amacher, ACS and CAC member, said the college program began in 2001 by three Chicago area teens who had been indirectly affected by cancer.

Amacher said the first chapters were at the University of Illinois and Northern Illinois University, and Eastern joined in 2004.

“Teams can do everything they need to do for ACS events online including signing up, creating personal pages, donating and posting or reading bulletins,” she said.

Pat Miller of the American Cancer Society said she decided to work with programs aiming to eliminate cancer after her brother passed away from colon cancer.

“We have so many activities throughout each year which raise money for cancer patients and it is really just a great cause,” she said.

People can get involved and work with CAC to help fight cancer through grassroots advocacy, prevention and early detection education, Relay For Life, and activities honoring cancer survivors.

The entire program is designed to allow students, faculty and staff to work through many different channels to eliminate cancer.

Each college involved with the program has a local office to help support and guide the students and events.

“It is an amazing support system to be involved with,” Amacher said.

Amacher is the local ACS official for Eastern.

She said she had not realized what ACS and Relay for Life had done for cancer patients, and she encouraged everyone to be a part of the group.

The money raised at the ACS functions goes toward advocacy, research, each individual event, rides for patients, treatment, wigs, support groups and the Senate Bill 500.

If passed, this bill will require Illinois to be smoke-free; therefore ACS will be donating to the cause.

Miller said it is extremely easy to sign up as a volunteer, and most people who volunteer and participate with each event come back every year.

There is no cost or initiation to become a member of CAC.

“You just have to come to the meetings with an open mind and the same goal of wanting to cure cancer that the rest of us have,” Thompson said. “We are all here for the same reason, and that is because cancer has touched our lives in one way or another.”

Relay for Life

When:6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday

Where: The Panther Trail

Donation: $25 per team

Deadline for Registration: Friday

To e-mail the Eastern CAC chapter: [email protected]

Information about cancer is available at the HERC office or to go to their website,click here

Or dial

HERC: 581-7786