Cancer Society kick's off 25th Relay For Life

Thursday night, American Cancer Society officials and volunteers kicked off this year's Relay for Life.

It is a monumental year for the organization. Their biggest fund raiser is celebrating its' 25th anniversary.

Not only is it a monumental anniversary, but this year organizers are setting monumental goals: more than 30 more new teams, and $450,000 in cancer fighting money.

It is all reliant on Alaskans joining their neighbors like Jessica Peterson. "So this next year I hope to get a team

out there to camp with me,” says Peterson. “Because I was out there almost the whole 24 hours by myself last year."

Peterson made the statement as she signed up for this year's Relay. The Anchorage mother of two was last year's top individual fundraiser, bringing in $2500. Peterson says she wants to do even more this year with a team. "So individually I'd like to do $3,000 next year,” Peterson says. “Just get more people participating with it."

This year's Anchorage Relay for Life Chair, Wes Clanton says, "Last year we had 42 teams. This year our goal is to have 75." Clanton pumped up the crowd with that speech dressed up like the 1970's character Shaft for a specific reason.

The Relay's 25th

anniversary theme is "fighting cancer throughout the decades." "To have an event unlike Anchorage has never seen before.” Clanton says. “Almost doubling our team size and having some great fund raising efforts. And really having a community involved in Relay for Life this year."

Relay for Life is a 24-hour grass roots community volunteer led event. Teams come together to celebrate those who have survived cancer. Remember those cancer has taken. And fight back against the disease that is Alaska's number one killer.

“Basically just an opportunity for the community to come together and fight back against cancer,” Clanton says.

Peterson uses the Relay to pay tribute to her grandfather who is still fighting skin cancer, and her sister who battled a rare cancer form since childhood.

“There's just so many people out there suffering from cancer in any shape or form,” Clanton says. “So to get more aware of it and what the cancer society does I think that's the most important goal right there. Is just to spread the word.”

Between now, and May, the CBS 11 Cancer Connection will follow Jessica Peterson as she forms her team, and fundraises for the Relay for Life.

With a $450,000 fundraising goal, and a 75 team goal, Anchorage Relay organizers need folks in the community to start forming their own teams.

To sign up right now just visit: www.relayforlifeofanchorage.org.

To contact the Newsroom, call 907-274-1111.