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DAYTON - On Saturday at the high school track in Dayton, men and women and boys and girls, pitched tents, laughed with their friends and prepared to spend the whole night walking or running around the track to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Relay For Life was held this weekend for the fifth time in Columbia County, said Cheri Stoker, a staff member and community relations manager lead.

Twenty-one teams and about 300 people had raised some $22,000 for the American Cancer Society and were eager to celebrate the cancer survivors who were present.

"We get great participation here," Stoker said of the relay in Dayton.

The money raised goes to cancer patient services, research and education, Stoker said. Any patient in any county in the United States can benefit.

Last year, the Relay raised about $21,000, so this year's amount raised had already surpassed that on Saturday.

Shannon McFall, from Walla Walla, was back at Relay this year as a walker and corporate sponsor. McFall runs Cott Beverage and said her help funding research to find a cure is on behalf of her own mother, a threeyear breast cancer survivor.

"It's kind of a tribute to her," McFall said.

She likes participating in the Dayton Relay because of how well-organized it is.

"They've put a lot of thought into it," she said.

As a daughter to a cancer patient, McFall did offer some advice based on her own experiences.

"Just have faith and make sure they're doing their checks early," she said. "For moms, the most they need is a helping hand."

The last time McFall participated in Relay, she walked most of the time, but did take a three-hour nap. This year, she had her mind set on walking the entire time, from about 3 p.m. Saturday to about 7 a.m. Sunday.

Staying up all night is one of the best parts of Relay, according to students Crystal Baker, Kendall Field, Jordyn Lowe and Jenna Phillips.

"We like playing sports and messing around with friends," Lowe said.

The young women, students in middle school up through college, had already pitched their tents and were hoping the rain wouldn't come as it did the year before. They said it gets cold at nighttime, but that's the worst part.

The girls had been working all year to raise money for the event. They didn't know their exact total of money raised on Saturday, but they had a car wash in July that brought in about $750.

The girls had members of their families and friends who had survived cancer or who had lost their battles.

"We know how it can affect people," Lowe said. "This event is really about being with friends and family."

The most somber part of the Relay was the luminaria ceremony Saturday evening. Community members and Relay participants had decorated white paper lunch sacks with the names of those who lost their battles to cancer. Candles are placed in the bags and lit when the sun went down, about 8 p.m. The bright lights that illuminate the football field were turned off, leaving only the glow of the lanterns. One by one, an organizer read the names of each person who had died while the crowd reflected in silent remembrance.

Other than this nighttime ceremony, the event was really a celebration of life and hope for finding a cure for cancer.

Opening ceremonies at 3 p.m. kicked off the Relay, with a lap around the track by about 15 cancer survivors in purple shirts. The crowd cheered for the survivors and took lots of photos as they were led around the track by an honor guard with flags and rifles.

Del Avery Sr., of Dayton, was the survivor speaker and invoked laughter and joy from the crowd with his tale.

Avery said he had gone to his doctor asking for a specific test he had seen on TV and was diagnosed with stage three and stage four prostate cancer. He encouraged the men and women in attendance to take the time to get checked so it's not too late.

"We've got to fight this and we've got to do it now," Avery said. "I want to die of old age, not cancer."

Relay for Life began in the 1980s in Tacoma. A surgeon wanted to add to the funding pot of his local American Cancer Society office and ran for 24 hours around the track at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, according to the society's website. Friends and family members donated to his efforts and the surgeon raised $27,000. In 1986, 19 teams took part in the first relay event at the historic Stadium Bowl and raised $33,000.

Those who participate in Relay for Life and fundraise have incentives in addition to finding a cure for cancer. Fundraisers, individuals and teams, can earn special prizes based on how much they raise, and relay events in communities across America are awarded for their fundraising.

It's easy to get involved, simply log on to relayforlife.org and locate an event in your area. In the Touchet Valley area, participants can join local relays in Dayton, Walla Walla, Pasco and Kennewick. Also on the website, you can join a team, start a team, register for the survivor lap, volunteer or become a committee member.

Also through the website is a listing of how you can give to the cause without participating in a relay. You can donate to a team or participant, dedicate a luminaria to someone you have lost to cancer, donate by cash or check and learn what companies give matching gifts.