(Photos by Michael Fischer) Becky Hoeppner looks on, then comforts her grandmother, Arlene Stewart as she mourns in front of her Godmother and best friend Mary Hinds' lumimary during the Clay County Relay for Life Saturday at Dale Norton Field. Both Stewart and Hoeppner are from Spencer.

Excellent weather allowed Clay County Relay For Life participants to make the most of the all night event at Dale Norton Field, spanning Saturday into Sunday. Suzi Harper, one of the event organizers said that a final tally has yet to be collected, but at this point, the contributions collected for Relay topped $50,000. A brief shot of rain around 7 p.m. Saturday was the only attempt to dampen the event which celebrates cancer survivors and continues to raise funds to battle the disease. Estimated numbers of participants and viewers for the weekends activities numbered between 1,000 and 1,200.

Survivors were an important part of the Relay for Life at Dale Norton Field. The annual event not only memorializes those who have died from the disease, it celebrates those who have beaten the disease as well.

Survivors and participants circle the track during Survivor Laps at Dale Norton Field. The annual event focuses on three themes: "Remember," "Celebrate," and "Fight Back."

Participants in the Clay County Relay for Life circle the track and several hundred luminary bags at Spencer Senior High Saturday, June 21. The annual fund raising event for the American Cancer Society attracted over 1,200 people to the weekend event.

Sue Meyer (left) comforts Rhonda Harleman as they watch the Survivor Laps.

Luminaries surround the track in the twilight hours during Relay For Life Saturday night. The red and blue lights on the field are attached to participants walking laps taken during this time exposure taken at the annual event.

Teams, from all over Clay County, including this one from Spencer Municipal Hospital, participated in the annual Clay County Relay for Life.