RAG campaigns for cancer research

Warwick RAG is taking part in a national rebranding campaign for the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR), alongside nine other ambassador universities.

The campaign, named SmartyPants, funds local researchers across the country looking into “new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer”.

It supports research on any type of cancer and funds the scientist’s time in the lab, not the buildings that the work is carried out in SmartyPants started at the University of St Andrews on September 14 and will travel to ten universities, arriving at Warwick on October 21 for Week 4.

Warwick RAG will be running a range of events throughout the week including piazza pants parties on Wednesday 23 October and Thursday 24 October in which they will be dancing and selling pants on the piazza.

The week will also be full of dares, or ‘pantics’, given to willing students by the AICR and RAG members, with the best efforts shown on social media and voted on for a top prize.

Wednesday 23 October will see the Pop! Takeover: “There’s a Party in our Pants and you’re invited!”.

As well as campaign-led events on campuses, SmartyPants has encouraged students to take on a challenge in their pants to raise sponsorship.

Warwick Jailbreak is working in association with the SmartyPants campaign and will be raising money for the AICR this year in the annual ‘escape’ event.

Events across other universities include a zumbathon at Bournemouth University, a safer sex ball at the University of Nottingham, and a roller disco at Leeds University.

At the start of September, Warwick RAG took part in the national RAG conference in Birmingham where a new world record was set for the highest number of people in one pair of pants – 307. The 10ft pants will feature in Warwick’s SmartyPants week.

Pants can be purchased on campus from Warwick RAG during SmartyPants week or online for £4.50, which can then be registered for the chance to win a prize.