The 2011 Eunice Relay for Life kicked off at 6:30 p.m. Friday, with 14 teams joining together to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Relay for Life is an annual event, held in cities across the country, to raise money for cancer research and treatment, and to honor cancer survivors and remember those who died from cancer.

Teams kept members walking on the track at the Northwest Community Center Pavillion throughout the night, finally stopping at 6 a.m.

A variety of events were held throughout the night; at 9 a.m., a Luminaria Ceremony was held, with candles lit inside white bags, each one bearing the name of someone who had cancer, lighting the Relay path.

At midnight, a Fight Back Ceremony was held, with participants pledging to work to spread awareness of cancer treatment, research and prevention.

But it wasn’t all seriousness; a host of games and competitions kept things lively throughout the night.

The first Relay was held in 1985; since then, Relay has raised an estimated $3 million, with approximately 4 million people taking part in Relay events in over 5,000 communities in the United States.

In the Acadiana region, money raised through Relay for Life have gone to assist 36 women through the Look Good, Feel Better program, which provides beauty tips to women undergoing cancer treatment, 42 wigs and gift items, and over $4.3 million in research grants to Tulane and Louisiana State University, in addition to other services for Acadiana cancer patients, according to information from the American Cancer Society’s Acadiana office.

Plans are already underway for the 2012 Relay; for more information on how to participate, contact ACS Representative Andrea Courville at (337)237-3797 ext. 5, or email Andrea.courville@cancer.org.