Some brought tents, others just sleeping bags. All came to fight cancer.

Relay for Life, an annual all-night marathon sponsored by the American Cancer Society, raised $70,900 for cancer research and programs.

The event took place from 6 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday morning. Almost 600 people in 65 teams showed up in the Student Recreation Center.

Participants stayed in the Rec Center all night walking the track.

The reason: cancer never sleeps.

The word “HOPE” was on the back wall as a backdrop for the relay’s opening ceremony.

Frank Van Buer, Mayor of DeKalb, was the first to speak.

“I’m pleased the community wanted to be a smoke free community,” Van Buer said.

He thanked everyone who showed up for the event and said they were, “to use a word that all of you use, ‘awesome.'”

State Rep. Bob Pritchard also spoke at the event.

“Every family has been touched by someone affected by cancer,” Pritchard said.

Pritchard’s wife has been a cancer survivor for two years.

Helen Umbdenstock, owner of Helen’s Hair Designs, 147 N. 2nd St, and a cancer survivor, was invited as the guest speaker.

“Cancer does not have to be a death sentence anymore. I feel that life holds a lot of miracles. They are standing over there,” Umbdenstock said while pointing to the line of survivors at the wall.

The 65 teams lined the track and applauded the survivors as they made the first honorary lap around the track. They carried a banner that read, “2006 Survivors: the Real Superheroes.”

Jerry and Sandy Busby, DeKalb residents, have been involved with the Relay for Life for 10 years. Jerry has been a cancer survivor for 15 years and the couple also lost a grandson to cancer.

“Every family has been affected by cancer,” Jerry said. “It’s important for everyone to get checked, the earlier the better. Thirty years ago it was pretty much a death sentence.”

He said he remembered when the relay started on campus in the Chick Evans Field House. There were only about three survivors at the event then.

“It’s to support and to raise money,” Jerry said. “Cancer never sleeps, that’s why everyone is here tonight.”

Meggan La Giglia, lead chair of the event, said the luminaria ceremony was very touching. Luminaria are lighted bags with names loved ones touched by cancer written on them.

“The closing ceremony when they announced the grand total took us all by surprise,” La Giglia said. “We more than doubled what we raised last year and we made our American Cancer Society goal.”