Chris Mackler / Senior Photographer / cm285504@ohiou.edu

Ohio University played host to its fourth annual Relay For Life benefit Friday and Saturday. Participants raised more than $82,000 for the American Cancer Society to fund research for the disease. Team members took turns walking around a track lined by luminaries, each marked with the name of someone who has had cancer.

At Ohio University’s fourth annual Relay For Life, themed “The Relay Round-Up,” participants roped in $82,000 for the American Cancer Society’s research.

Last year, more than 900 students on 60 teams raised $78,000, bringing in more money than any other public or private university in Ohio. That made OU’s Relay For Life the No. 1 collegiate relay in the state, according to the OU Relay For Life fact sheet.

Although they fell short of the $85,000 goal, about 1,100 students on 78 teams participated, said Lauren Smith, Relay chair.

“This total is fantastic,” she said.

This year’s event began at 6 p.m. Friday at the OU Driving Range and lasted until noon Saturday.

OU’s community service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, was named the top online and overall fundraising team, raising $17,513. Proceeds from the event will help the American Cancer Society fund programs in Athens County, where cancer incidence rates are 551.6 per 100,000 people. Statewide, cancer incidence rates are 461.4 per 100,000.

Team members took turns walking or running around a track lined by luminaries, each marked with the name of someone who has had cancer. Activities were planned throughout the night, including cornhole, cardio dance and kickboxing taught by Ping Center fitness instructors, Rock ’n’ Roll Jeopardy, a Ms. Relay drag pageant and a showing of “Anchorman.”

In an opening ceremony, OU freshman and cancer survivor Michelle Little was introduced as honorary chair. Little was diagnosed with cancer in 2004 and had to take a break from college to undergo chemotherapy.

Little said her advice to others is to not take everything in life for granted.

“Let go of the petty problems and just live,” she said.

Three hours into the event, teams took a break from walking the track to participate in a luminary ceremony, while cancer survivors and friends of those with cancer spoke and shared songs. Holding candles, teams took a silent lap around the track.

“The luminary ceremony is very touching, even if you’ve never been touched by someone with cancer,” said Holly Schall, who relays in honor of her grandmother, who died of cancer.

Sarah Slavik, advocacy chair of Colleges Against Cancer, said she also relays for her grandmother, who died of cancer four years ago.

“When it’s personal, it’s something you really want to fight for,” she said.