The 16th annual Clermont County Relay for Life is just around the corner, and already there are more teams slated to participate in the annual fund-raising event this year.

“There are definitely more teams and we actually have a full committee,” Vickie Harris, cancer survivor and co-chair for Clermont County Relay for Life, said.

Harris said so far, 22 teams and 147 participants have registered to participate in the event. She said the teams have already raised nearly $11,000 to help fund research, education, local patient services and advocacy for the American Cancer Society.

According to the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life originated in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon, decided to walk and jog around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Since then, Relay for Life has become a world-wide fund-raising effort with more than 3.5 million people participating in 5,000 communities in the United States and 19 other countries.

“Some people don’t even know what Relay for Life is,” Harris said. “Just getting it out there that there is a Relay for Life in Clermont County and getting the community more involved is my biggest goal.”

Harris said this year, Relay for Life will be set up similarly to the years past. The event will be held at Veterans’ Memorial Park in Union Township June 23-24, where a track area will be set up for participants to walk.

Team members, who have worked together to raise money, will be able to stake out an area to set up their tent, and the event will kick-off with a survivor lap at 2 p.m. followed by a survivor luncheon.

After the survivor lap, Harris said one member of each team should be on the track at all times participating in the relay until it comes to an end at 8 a.m. the next morning.

“We will be playing games and having fun all night,” Harris said.

She said there will also be a luminaria ceremony to remember those who lost their battle with cancer at 9:30 p.m. June 23.

Harris said something new they have added this year is the Survivor’s Quilt raffle. She said Sherry Crocker approached organizers last year with an idea to make a quilt out of the awareness colors that represent the different types of cancer.

Harris said Crocker took off with the idea and had dozens of people who have been touched by cancer sign the quilt.

“It is pretty amazing,” Harris said. “When we saw it, it was a quilt of many colors, but now every block has signatures. It is very special to us and unique to our relay.”

Harris said raffle tickets for the quilt are available for $5 each or six tickets for $20.

Last year, teams raised more than $14,000 during Relay for Life, despite the unfavorable weather that came through the area not long after the event began.

“Last year a really bad storm came through,” Harris said. “There are not really a whole lot of places to go for shelter.”

Harris said unfortunately many teams had to leave the park last year because of the storms. She said she is hoping for better weather and more participation this year.

“We really would love to see survivors come out,” Harris said. “We want to try to have more survivors, especially the ones in treatment.”

Harris encouraged anyone to attend the event this year even if they are not participating on a team.

“People can come by and see what Relay for Life is all about,” she said.

For more information about the Clermont County Relay for Life visit www.relayforlife.org/clermontcounty.