Staff reports

Auburn’s annual Relay for Life starts at 6 p.m. Friday at Auburn Memorial Stadium and ends on the following afternoon.

As of Tuesday, 52 teams and 412 participants had already raised $67,828.72 for the event and its part in the global fight against cancer.

At Relay For Life events like Auburn’s, communities across the world come together to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight a disease that has already taken too much and too many.

Relay For Life teams camp out overnight and take turns walking or running around a track or path at a local high school, park, or fairground. Events are up to 24 hours long.

One of the highlights of the event is the 10 p.m. Luminaria ceremony, a time to remember people lost to cancer, to support people who have cancer, and to honor people who have fought cancer in the past. The power of this ceremony lies in providing an opportunity for people to work through grief and find hope.

In more than 5,200 communities and 20 countries, Relay For Life events comprise the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

Each Relay For Life event is special to its community, but the movement’s true power lies in the combined commitment of thousands of participants, volunteers, and supporters to help the American Cancer Society save lives from cancer.

Every year, the movement raises more than $400 million.