About 29 teams will be hitting the road around River Park for the Canadian Cancer Society's annual Relay For Life, which will take place on Friday, May 30, and Saturday, May 31.

Registration for the teams will begin at 6 p.m. with the opening ceremonies, and the survivors' lap will take place at 7 p.m. Throughout the night there will be children's games, belly dancing, a magician, team contests and music and fun. A tent city will also be set up next to the track to house the participants.

Some of the team events that will take place include "Mr. and Mrs. Relay" and "Are You Smarter Than The Cancer Knowledge Zone?", a spin-off of the popular television show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?"

Teams that participate in events throughout the night will be receiving "Relay Bucks." These "Relay Bucks" can be redeemed to enter into a team-oriented draw for prizes.

From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., there will be a silent auction with items donated by the teams. Team members as well as the general public will be allowed to bid on the silent auction items. The highest bids will be announced after the luminary ceremony at 10 p.m.

"The money raised from the silent auction will go towards the donating team's fundraising total," said Relay For Life co-chair Barb Hudson.

The luminary ceremony will consist of lighting the luminaries bought in honour of survivors and those who lost their battle with cancer. The luminaries will line the track around River Park as well as spell out the word "HOPE" on the side of the hill south of the track.

"Usually the public starts to dwindle out after the opening ceremonies," said Hudson.

The Cancer Knowledge Zone, formerly known as the Smart Shop tent, will also be set up with information available about cancer as well as a variety of activities. The Cancer Knowledge Zone will also act as a VIP area for the survivors.

"There will be all kinds of information and activities going on at the Cancer Knowledge Zone," said Hudson.

Massages will also be available for the participants starting at 9 p.m. and a hot chili meal will be served to the participants and volunteers only at midnight by the Weyburn Credit Union Board of Directors.

At 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 31, a continental breakfast will be served to the participants and volunteers. This will be followed by the closing ceremonies and awards at 6:15 a.m.

Something new this year will be the "Fight Back" ceremony which will begin at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. This is an opportunity for participants, and members of the general public, to sign a pledge to "fight back" against cancer for the next 365 days until the next Relay For Life event.

"This is something new and different. We want to leave this year's Relay on a positive note," said Hudson.

Survivors and volunteers can still register before the event and luminaries are still available for purchase. For more information on how to register as a volunteer or a survivor or to purchase a luminary, people can contact the Canadian Cancer Society's Southeast Unit office.

All of the funds from Relay For Life will go to the Canadian Cancer Society. This money will go towards funding research projects across the country as well as in Saskatchewan, providing information services and support programs in the community and will help advocate for public policies that prevent cancer and help those living with it.

Last year's Relay For Life raised about $43 million nationwide. At Weyburn's 2007 Relay For Life event, a total of 31 teams participated and 86 survivors took part in the victory lap, raising over $88,000.