At Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark, volunteers were walking all night Friday into Saturday morning to raise money for cancer research and awareness.

Starting at 6 p.m. Friday night, volunteers from the American Cancer Society joined forces with residents of Clark and surrounding communities for Relay For Life, a 12-hour event that continued throughout the night and ended at 6 a.m.

As of Thursday, the event had 1,125 registered participants, including 197 cancer survivors and 48 teams. The Clark event has raised $127,156 as of Thursday, and organizers expect to raise much more. Featured speakers included Florence Peterson (survivor speaker), Richard Wright (caregiver speaker) and "Fight Back" speaker Rose Dulko.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature event. Teams camp out and take turns walking a track throughout the night in honor of those who have fought cancer and in memory of those who are no longer with us. Funds raised through Relay For Life support the lifesaving work of the American Cancer Society through research, education, advocacy and patient/family services.

Annually, over three million people participate in Relay For Life events in communities worldwide and have raised over $4 billion since its inception in 1985. This year, the NY / NJ area is hosting over 250 events. The 2011 Relay For Life of Clark had 1,099 participants, including 202 cancer survivors in attendance.

Opening ceremonies begin with the “Survivor Celebration Lap,” where hundreds of survivors walk around the track together. The Luminaria Ceremony takes place at nightfall with volunteers and participants lighting hundreds (sometimes thousands) of candles. The candles illuminate the perimeter of the track and guide walkers though the darkness during a “silent lap," to show respect for the survivors walking but also to reflect on the lives of those who did not win the battle.

For more information on Relay For Life of Clark, or the American Cancer Society, call 973-232-2573 or visit www.relayforlife.org/clarknj.