Losing her grandmother was Deanna Kessler’s initial reason for joining a Relay for Life event to raise money toward a cure for cancer.

"She was like my mom, to me, and I wanted to do something," said Kessler of Centreville’s Country Club Manor community. "A Relay for Life was coming up, so I joined."

Now, she’s about to participate in her fifth such event and is even her team’s captain for the fifth year in a row. It’s the Shooting Stars: Make a Wish team, and the 25 or so members will walk, May 16-17, from Saturday at 5 p.m. to Sunday at 6 a.m., around the Centreville High track.

"The team is composed of mostly Centreville families who, in some way, have been touched by cancer," said member Cathy Greer of Centre Ridge. "The Relay is a family event for all of us and is just wonderful. We did it at GMU previously, and we’re all thrilled to have our own Centreville walk for the second year."

This team raised more than $6,000 last year and hopes to equal that amount, this time. Said Greer: "The local restaurants have been kind to us, letting us put out collection boxes and have guest bartenders for fund-raising."

ANOTHER FUND-RAISER, for adults, is slated for Friday, April 10, from 8 p.m.-closing, at Sully's Restaurant on Route 50 West in Chantilly. The rock band, Into the Now, will perform and donations will be accepted for the American Cancer Society, which sponsors the Relay.

"We’ll also have raffles for items such as original art prints and photographs, plus merchandise or gift cards from local businesses," said Kessler. "And all donations are tax-deductible."

Meanwhile, she encourages anyone who wants to participate in the walk to go to www.centrevillerelay.org and sign up. "People can either start a team, join a team or donate there," she said. Teams are 20-25 people, usually families and friends, but may be as small as 12 people. Some are even corporate teams, such as a group from Alliance Bank that’s participating.

"The reason we have teams is so someone from the team is on the track at all times," said Kessler. "Since cancer never takes a break and never sleeps, we don’t, either. These relays are held, all over, throughout the summer. And we want to thank Centreville High Principal Mike Campbell and Athletic Director Jimmy Sanabria for all their help and for letting us continue to use the football field."

The event begins at 4 p.m. with a catered dinner for cancer survivors under a canopy on the field. Opening ceremonies are at 5 p.m., followed by individual laps by survivors and caregivers; then everyone else joins in.

"NO SPECIAL TRAINING is needed, because you basically walk a half hour here, a half hour there," said Kessler. "We take coolers and stuff to snack on, and we talk and hang out when we’re not walking. The kids play Wiffle ball, Frisbee and football on the inside of the track and have a pizza party at midnight. There’s also a deejay with music."

She said they all have a good time getting together with family and friends to support this effort. Said Kessler: "Once you do it, you look forward to doing it again."

Participants also purchase luminaries and decorate their bags that day with drawings, messages or the name of the person in whose honor they’re walking. The luminaries are then placed all around the track and are lit at dusk. Some are placed in the bleachers and spell out the word, "Hope."

"Around dusk, they turn out all the stadium lights and play soft music, and everybody walks the track in silence in honor of those who’ve died," said Kessler. "And last year, they read off the names of everyone on the bags. Eventually, the lights come back again, but the candles burn all night."

"Our kids love it, every year," said Greer. "They get to camp out at the high school, so it’s a lot of fun for them. Almost all of us have family members touched by cancer, and my kids wanted to get involved in this event when a neighbor died. They were friends with his children and wanted to help."

Her sons, Thomas, 17, a Centreville High junior, and Jeffrey, 13, a Liberty Middle eighth-grader, were 13 and 9 when they did their first Relay. Now, said their mom, "They want to do this every year to remember him. And since he died, we’ve lost more friends, so it’s a sad thing. But this walk gives kids an opportunity to remember those they’ve lost and to feel like they can do something to make a difference to those still fighting."

Businesses wanting to help may purchase track signs for $50 each, containing healthful tips and their company’s name. To do so, contact Kessler at dkessler7@cox.net.

"People don’t have to be at the relay, the whole time, if they don’t want to," said Kessler. "They can just stay for an hour or two and leave. At the end, we’re really tired, but satisfied and fulfilled. We know we’ve helped our community and raised funds for a good reason. We’ve also brought people together who’ve lost someone and, for that night, we all have something in common."

"It’s a chance to be part of an inspiring event," added Greer. "And we’d also love for everyone to come out and support all these teams."