Photo Gallery: Relaying Hope to Fight Cancer

The Relay of Life to raise money for the American Cancer Society (ACS) was held at Mar Vista High School from 10 a.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday.

More than 100 people from Imperial Beach and around San Diego took part in the event, from team members raising money to volunteers to several music acts.

Throughout the night participants had dance classes, karaoke and DJs from Magic 92.5 and Jammin Z90.3 to keep the mood upbeat.

During the day there was belly dancing, zumba classes and cancer survivors were honored.

Almost every half an hour, different kinds of laps were taken, like the funny hat lap, flamingo ring toss lap or pajama lap.

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At 9 p.m. Saturday a luminaria was held to remember those who have died from the disease which according to the ACS claimed more than half a million lives in 2010 and is the second leading cause of death in America.

30 to 40 members of Patricia Lee Agbunag's family could be found on four of the Relay's 18 teams. The family started the Prayer for a Cure team with members of the congregation at Church of Christ on 10th Street. This year they're fighting cancer on teams Pattie Cakes, Relay for Pattie, Remember 11 and IB Girls Softball.

Agbunag passed away from lung cancer in Dec. 2009.

"Next year would have been her 50th class reunion," said Crystal Kincaid about her mother, a Mar Vista high school graduate.

"She was just the best grandma, the best mom and with all the great advice you ever needed," said Cynthia Rodriguez.

A letter by her daughter Lynnette Barnett was read by Penny Drozd, a main organizer of the Relay who said she got involved because of Agbunag. Barnett lives in West Virginia but raised more than $1,000 for the Relay.

"I am not a cancer victim. I am not a cancer survivor. I am just a girl. A girl that has been left without a mom. A girl that has had the person who loved her more than anyone in the world taken from me," Barnett said.

"This is a war against that which took my beautiful, loving, consistent and precious mom from my life."

The luminaria ceremony dotted the edges of track with candles in bags with sand with the names of those who lost their battle with cancer and others who are still fighting. In the stadium stands, HOPE was spelled out in lights.

Phoebe Guern got involved with the Relay after her grandmother died from cancer. Five members of her family got some form of cancer, and four died.

"Today we celebrate the lives of those who had battles with cancer, remember the loved ones who we lost to this disease and fight back against a disease that takes too much already," she said.

"Everyone should have hope to find a cure because one day we will find it. I believe in having hope.

Donations can be made until Aug. 31. Click here to learn more.