JOSH FIELDS/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA students cross the finish line at the Relay For Life cancer walk at the Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind Saturday. The event raised more than $65,000 for cancer research.

More than 400 UA student-participants came together Saturday and yesterday for the UA's second annual Relay for Life and surpassed their goal of raising more than $65,000 toward the fight against cancer.

Held at the Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind, 1200 W. Speedway Blvd., Relay for Life is an overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money for research and programs for the American Cancer Society, according to the American Cancer Society's Web site.

Organizers spend about a year planning the event and will get started this week on planning next year's relay.

"Thank you for all those who came out in support of this very important cause," said co-chair Brian Elisco, "You are the ones that put smiles on people's faces and care for others who need it more than anything."

The relay held special meaning to many participants, including more than 10 cancer survivors who celebrated life by taking part in the survivor lap with the crowd standing around the track cheering them on.

The survivor lap was the official start of the relay and was followed by a lap for all participants, who donned team T-shirts and paraded around the school track with banners showing what organization or team they represented.

Nine-year-old Kassandra Okvath of Gilbert, who was the recipient of an "extreme makeover" for the University Medical Center children's wing she stayed in during her fight with cancer, attended the event in support of children who lost the cancer battle.

Okvath, who endured a six-month struggle with cancer, is now in a six-month remission process. She said she is doing well and the tests she continually goes through come back negative.

"We hope the cancer doesn't return as it notoriously does," said her mother Nichol Okvath.

Julie McCollom, the accounting and registration chair for the event, spoke of her fight with cancer, which developed near her eye.

McCollom, an accounting junior, said she credits her mother's drive to find out what was wrong with her and said that was the only reason she's alive today.

"Cancer doesn't happen to an individual, it happens to a family," McCollom said.

Teams continued to have at least one member on the track at all times after the ceremonious start to the event. But most team participants showed their support for the disease by walking countless laps around the track together throughout the event.

Others in attendance camped out on the football field, snacking and tailgating under the balmy afternoon and night skies with tents and chairs set up for the evening.

Five live bands and a DJ provided entertainment with music for the all-night relay, which had the UA dance squad participants improvising dance moves on the stage.

The event lights flickered out and the music ceased once the luminaria ceremony began to remember those who have perished from cancer. Each participant stood circled around the track in total silence and was able to light a candle inside a white paper bag with the name or picture of someone who lost their life to cancer.

Once all the bags were lit, all relay participants walked the track four times in silence representing "the ones we lost," "survivors," "a fight for the cure" and "the celebration of life."

The ceremony gave students a time to reflect and show their commitment to the cause.

Taralyn Rogers, a political science junior, said the ceremony was special because she lit one of the first candles and because the event gave her time to remember her grandfather who died of cancer three years ago.

"It's a great way to come together because each person has had cancer touch their lives in some way," Rogers said.

Marty Cisneroz, team recruitment chair for the event, said events like this help people realize what cancer is all about and how they can help raise money for the cause.

"It's good for college students to reflect," said Cisneroz, an alumnus, touching on how the event itself speaks louder than the money being raised.