Community Rallies For Relay For Life

A combination of favorable weather, a strong show of support for cancer survivors and an overwhelming wish to conquer cancer were all that was needed for Friday evening's Relay For Life.

Fontana Field at was packed with a high turnout of participants. The track had a constant flow of people walking lap after lap.

Beaded strings were used to account for each turn around around the track and many came out prepared to spend the night, camping style, in tents that were set up in the center of the field.

Vendors set up along the interior perimeter of the track to raise money. Mary Kay consultants got creative with their product and had a 'Kiss Away Cancer' event. For $1 a lip reading made from applied lipstick, in optional color of your choice, would predict what kind of personality the kisser had.

"The Relay For Life event is the reason we are here," said consultant Rosemary Gurga. "Everyone knows someone who has had one kind of cancer or another."

Kanwaljit Singh of the Connecticut Sikh Association said the community helped to raise $4,800 for Relay For Life. "It was surprising in a good way that many people are willing to contribute for this cause."

Kate Salerno, a cancer survior, read a poem written by breast cancer survivor Jackie Rutkovich titled 'I Walked For You' I Walked For Me' as the sun set. The verse expressed reasons to join together in support of fighting cancer, 'I walked around a track today: I walked to help a disease go away. I walked because there is a need. I walked that bodies could be freed.'

Salerno along with her Team Patience said she attended to commemorate her own survival of throat cancer and eight weeks of chemotherapy, but also for her husband who is fighting colon cancer.

For a full line-up of events that will continue through Saturday afternoon see .