About 1,500 people have signed up to take turns walking, running or jogging in the Relay for Life on the track behind the DeWeese Health Center from 10 a.m. tomorrow through 10 a.m. Sunday.

At 11 a.m., cancer survivors will take a lap around the track, which will kick off the official start time.

The 24-hour walk is a cancer awareness event used to raise money for cancer research and support groups.

Last year, teams raised $74,000 for the American Cancer Society, and this year’s goal is to raise $86,000, said Lauren Mareno, junior psychology major and co-chair of the event.

Several organizations have combined efforts to create more than 60 teams for the event, and each organization has a tent for on-site fundraising.

The theme of this year’s Relay for Life is gaming, and the basic set up is a giant Monopoly board. Each team represents a certain game, which is the theme of the team’s tent.

Even if people are not signed up for a team, they can still come and support those participating, Mareno said.

“They can come and hang out with people there,” she said. “Also if they know someone on a team, they can walk with them.”

Other activities includes performances from eight bands throughout the day, a jail and bail and the Miss Relay Competition.

The jail and bail costs $1 to place someone in “jail,” and it costs $2 to get out of “jail.” A person stays in the “jail” for a maximum of 30 minutes.

The Miss Relay Competition will take place at 7:30 p.m., where guys will dress up in skirts and dresses to compete for the title.

The American Cancer Society is raise money at the event by selling luminarias for $10 each. People can recognize and remember loved ones by buying a luminaria, which are displayed during the Luminaria Ceremony at 9:30 p.m. tomorrow, Mareno said.

For more information about Relay for Life, visit www.cancer.org.

Contact social services reporter Meghan Gauriloff at [email protected].