After last year's Rookie Relay success, this year's American Cancer Society Herndon Relay For Life teams have big running shoes to fill.
During the kickoff ceremony for the event, held Feb. 16 at the Herndon Municipal Center, co-chair Debby Burt congratulated last years' teams on their overall accomplishments.
Receiving best Rookie Relay for the American Cancer Society's South Atlantic Division Relay University and for the region, Herndon's 2003-04 inaugural event raised $119,383.
This year Burt said the bar has been raised and the Herndon group's planning committee has already begun brainstorming ways to improve this spring's 24-hour event.
One improvement is the option to attend workshops leading up to the June event that cover everything from building a team and filling out forms to fund-raising techniques and relay necessities.
FIRST CREATED IN 1985 by a doctor in Tacoma, Wash., who completed 83 miles around a track by himself to raise money for the American Cancer Society, the concept has since expanded.
Last year 4,075 relays were conducted, raising $305 million to fight cancer through educating about cancer prevention awareness and benefiting the programs and services offered by the American Cancer Society.
This year's event will be held June 11-12 and is an overnight Celebration of Life, dedicated to current and former cancer patients, their families and friends. While the relay is underway, a festival-style atmosphere is created by team members camping out, enjoying entertainment, food, games, and camaraderie.
Registration is open to teams of eight to 15 members and can include everyone from families, friends and neighbors to classmates, church members and co-workers.
Funds are raised prior to the event and then the walk/run-style relay will occur around the track for the 24-hour event. Each team is offered a campsite and encouraged to stay overnight, keeping at least one team member on the track at all times.
Each team is challenged to raise at least $1,000 for the American Cancer Society.
For more information about the event, workshops offered and deadlines visit www.herndonrelay.org.