For 24 hours last month sixty teams of walkers gathered at Tioga Park for the Relay for Life sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Mark Payne, Executive Director of the Tioga County chapter of the American Cancer Society explained that in addition to being a fund raiser, the idea of the relay was to "give people the opportunity to get exercise, give people the opportunity to get family, friends, corporations, and organization together to celebrate cancer survivorship and remember those who've lost their lives to cancer."

A luminary ceremony was held on Friday, August 8, to remember those who lost their lives to cancer. On a "wall of honor and memories" were messages: "Grandpa, we all miss you;" "In memory of Candido Quiles Died in Puerto Rico of lung cancer (1984);" "Congrats to Survivors."

The teams camped out overnight at the park, where they listened to live music, and enjoyed a bonfire. The mood was festive and the walkers decorated their tents. The Johnson City High School Key Club went with an Ancient Rome them: "We Came, We Saw, We Conquered Cancer." The Owego-Apalachin Transportation and Friends chose as their motto "Let's Take Cancer for a Ride."

Payne stated that he was "thrilled with the community support" and how it was "standing behind what we're trying to do."

By the end of the two-day event, the tired teams had raised over $85,000.