Karen Swymer was studying at Boston College Law School when she learned she'd suffered a relapse of the cancer she fought and hoped she'd beaten as a child.

Swymer, 25, was admitted to Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a leading treatment center for children and adults. Some of her bills were subsidized by the Jimmy Fund, the institute's fundraising arm.

Swymer and about 100 others attended a banquet in the Eliot House dining hall last night to kickoff the 27th Annual Evening with Champions, a two-day ice skating festival that helps raise money for the Jimmy Fund.

"I try to be an advocate and spokesperson for cancer patients. It's important for children with cancer and their parents to see someone doing well," Swymer said.

Julie H. Park '97, co-chair of Evening with Champions, said, "All the proceeds from the shows this weekend go to the Jimmy Fund."

Eliot House undergraduates manage and coordinate the entire event, which features 1992 Olympic silver medalist Paul S. Wylie '91 this year.

Yesterday's inaugural banquet was attended by a mixture of students and faculty, Dana-Farber Institute officials, skaters and corporate sponsors.

Last year's Evening with Champions raised about $100,000. More than $1.7 million has been raised since 1969.

The three world-class figure skating exhibitions will take place tonight at 8 p.m. and at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday. The two Saturday shows will be videotaped for viewing on public television this spring.

Boston Globe sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy and his daughter Kate, who was treated by the Dana-Farber Institute for childhood leukemia, were two of several speakers.

"We do as much of this stuff as we can. It's giving back," Shaughnessy said.

Tickets are still available for all three shows. If you are interested, please call 493-8172.