ROME TOWNSHIP - The skies were covered with dark gray storm clouds and the rain was already falling, but that did not dampen the spirits of 11-year-old Dava Spurlock.

"I don't care if it rains, snows, sleets or hails," she said. "I'll get an umbrella."

Spurlock and her friends, profoundly affected by the recent death of a close friend's mother to cancer, donned dark blue bandanas covered with red, white and blue stars as part of the "Patriots" team in eastern Lawrence County's first Relay for Life at the Fairland High School stadium.

The 18-hour event hosted by the American Cancer Society began at 6 p.m. Friday and ended at noon Saturday. No final count was available at press time, but Fairland superintendent and event co-chairman Jerry McConnell said 30 teams signed up for the event, each with a goal of raising $1,000. Most teams had reached this, he said.

The teams included some that had members donning grass skirts and leis, sailor hats and crab hats.

At the event's start, cancer survivors, lined up for the first lap, the Victory Lap. They were led by Proctorville native Nathan Waggoner, diagnosed with bone cancer last year and now confined to a wheelchair. He was escorted by what his mother Carolyn called his "favorite people", the Chesapeake Panthers basketball team.

"Nate's the man," Adam Skeens, a senior basketball player who pushed Waggoner's wheelchair on one side. "He's going through this with high spirits and always comes to our games, supporting us."

"I always preach that basketball isn't the most important thing in life," the team's coach, Norm Persin said. "They're healthy enough to perform on the court. They're thankful of that situation, now. This is a tremendous night, we have a tremendous crowd and this is a tremendous cause."

Chesapeake resident Sharri Butcher, a member of the "Holzer Hippies" team is not a cancer survivor, but her 5-year-old daughter Kalie is. Coming to events such as this, she said, allows survivors and their families know they are not alone. She said she was also pleased with the event's turnout.

Terri Wise, luminary chair and a teacher at Fairland East Elementary, said each of the 30 teams had at least 10 members, some with 17-18. However, many people simply showed up to support friends or family members that were on a team.

At dusk Friday, the event became much quieter and much more somber with the luminary ceremony.

Twenty-one-year-old Cara Dingus, daughter of former Ohio University Southern Dean Bill Dingus was the spokesperson for the ceremony. The Ironton High School and Ohio University graduate was diagnosed with a primitive neuroectaldermal tumor in October, which is a rare pediatric cancer.

"We have learned to have faith rather than fear," Donna Dingus, Cara's mother, said. "We have learned to have the choice to control our mind and to choose courage. That's what she has done."

One of the toughest parts of doing through chemotherapy treatments, Cara Dingus said, was losing her hair. Hair loss during cancer treatments is especially difficult for women, she said.

This, however, was no problem for Dominick Brook, her boyfriend of two and a half years, who passed his time smiling and taking pictures of Cara while she was on stage.

"She's beautiful," he said. "She has her face, her eyes, her lips, her cheeks.'

"This has taught me how valuable life is, and how it is uncertain. But, it's taught me more about Cara - how strong and brave she is."

Cara Dingus will turn 22 on July 13. Her younger sister Rebecca said her family's celebration plans are a surprise, but Cara knows that she will be celebrating her chemotherapy ending in August.

"You can choose hope over anger and faith over fear," Cara Dingus said.