St. Charles North hosts its first Relay For Life

More than 200 students, staff, and volunteers from St. Charles North High School spent Friday night walking in the first St. Charles North Relay For Life.

The 12-hour overnight event was held at the school's athletic field to raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society.

Once the sun went down, there was a luminaria ceremony to remember cancer victims.

In attendance at the event were cancer survivors and their caregivers who led the relay participants in the first two laps around the track.

One of the chairmen of the event, sophomore Melissa Lukasiewicz, said, "It was really moving to hear the stories of the survivors. It makes me realize how important the money that we raised for research and patient care is to the people fighting the disease."

According to Lukasiewicz, planning for the event started months ago.

"It takes a lot of support and dedication to pull off such a large event; the success of the Relay says a lot about the character of our school."

The event raised more than $41,000 in pledges and corporate sponsors.

"The amount of money we raised was terrific, especially considering this is our first year doing the relay," Lukasiewicz said. "It's a great feeling knowing we've made a difference in the fight against cancer."

By 6 a.m. Saturday, the enthusiasm of the participants was still apparent. The closing featured an awards ceremony honoring the top individual and team fundraisers, closing comments from the event chairmen and a final lap for all participants.