Eckler says she would like to see an unlimited amount of teams take part in the event because the more teams there are the more revenue there will be to fight and bring awareness to cancer. She believes participation may be lower than in the past because there are so many other walk/run benefits and she says more are being added all the time. The Relay for Life in Cooperstown generally averages 35 teams, but this year the number is a little short with only 28 teams.

However, according to Peg Blackman, the Cooperstown relay’s representative from the American Cancer Society, there are some very large teams that have resulted from teams from past years joining together. For example, the New York Central Mutual’s team is up to 158 members.

Eckler says it is not too late to become a participant. Registrations will be taken until Friday, June 8 at 4:30 p.m. Registration fee is $10.

The relay is a time to celebrate those who have battled cancer, pay tribute to the lives lost to the disease and raise money to help fight cancer, organizers said, as well as a time to connect and find common ground with others who have shared the same experiences.

The Cooperstown Relay for Life begins with a survivor’s lap at 6 p.m. Friday and the closing ceremony will be at 8 a.m. Saturday. The survivor’s lap is the traditional kick-off to Relay for Life events and according to publicity co-chair Elizabeth Buchinger, all survivors are invited to participate free of charge. The survivors receive purple T-shirts and take the fist lap of the relay. Purple is the official color of survivorship.

Cancer survivor Rena Lull has been on the relay planning committee since the first relay and says, "I relay because the money raised will help the American Cancer Society to eliminate cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education and advocacy and service."

According to Charity Navigator, a charity watchdog group, the American Cancer Society is one of very few charities that is still making money by holding special events such as its Relay for Life. The American Cancer Society spends less than 11 cents of every dollar it raises through special events, according to Charity Navigator. Sponsors of the Cooperstown relay include The Seaver Family, NBT Bank, WUTR, New York Central Mutual, Pennysaver, P & C Foods, and the Bassett Healthcare Cancer Center.