The women organizing this year's relay, set for the weekend of May 15­16 at the Willow Glen High School track, are participating in the American Cancer Society fundraiser to honor loved ones lost to cancer and to celebrate the lives of those who've survived the disease.

"It brings the community together," said committee member Sherry Rodriguez. "It reminds people that cancer's not a cold; it doesn't go away."

Rodriguez helped organize Willow Glen's first Relay for Life four years ago at the request of a friend who had just been treated for breast cancer. She said that first relay was "the most moving 24 hours of my life."

During the relay, team members take turns walking or running laps. Each team tries to keep at least one team member on the track at all times. Team members are each asked to raise at least $100.

About 400 people on 16 teams have signed up for this year's relay, including Willow Glen committee members Kathleen Pizzo and Julie Harris.

Pizzo, a breast cancer survivor, is the captain of her team, which includes her daughter. Pizzo credits her family with giving her the support she needed while she was undergoing cancer treatments in 1997.

"My husband and my mom were my greatest support during that year," she said. "My children were ages 14, 12 and 8 and very proud that their mom was going to do whatever it took to beat the cancer."

Harris, team captain coordinator, is participating in this year's relay in memory of her mother, who died last November from metastatic lung cancer. In the last two years, Harris's relay team has raised almost $40,000 in her mother's honor.

"I couldn't stop her cancer from growing, but I could support her," Harris said. "The relay is six months to the day she died."

As the event has grown, so have the efforts to increase the amount raised each year.

Last year's Willow Glen relay raised $120,000, and this year's fundraising goal is $140,000. The American Cancer Society will earmark half the funds raised for research, patient services and awareness campaigns within the Willow Glen community. This year 28 other South Bay communities have relays planned.

The relay has resulted in more than just fundraising to help bring awareness to the disease. In the course of organizing the Willow Glen relay, committee members have formed an informal support group.

"It's a conversation that starts, and you get more information than you want," said event chairwoman Jennifer Barry. "It's heartbreaking to find out how many people are touched by cancer, but there's also lots of support.

And she added, "It helps to be around other cancer survivors and other people who have faced cancer in one way or another."

As a child, Barry saw her father overcome melanoma and her mother successfully battle ovarian cancer. "My parents fought and survived cancer when I was too young to know what cancer was," Barry said. "I only knew the great impact it had on their lives."

Five years ago, when Barry was pregnant with her daughter, her mother's cancer returned. Again, she successfully fought the disease. At the same time, Barry experienced her own melanoma scare, although the spots on her skin turned out to be benign.

Still, Barry recognizes that cancer is a risk for her. She said she's participating in the relay "to make sure that my daughter has a mom."

To keep team members walking around the clock, the relay committee has several special events and meals planned. The relay will kick off on May 15 at 10:30 a.m. with a survivor lap, when those who have beaten cancer will take to the track. A reception will immediately follow.

Those who aren't on the track on May 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. can bid in a silent auction. On the morning of May 16, the relay will be capped off with a raffle. Tickets will be available for purchase at the event, and all proceeds benefit the Willow Glen relay.

Team members who take the graveyard shift will be rewarded with pizza and popcorn at midnight, and after sunrise, there will be Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Noah's Bagels on hand for breakfast.

The highlight of each Relay for Life will take place at dusk on May 15. During the luminaria ceremony, hundreds, sometimes thousands, of transparent bags containing candles are placed around the track, honoring family and friends who have fought cancer. As the track darkens, a ceremony pays tribute to survivors and those who have lost their battle with cancer. Those who have participated in prior Relay for Life fundraisers say it is one of the most touching moments during the event.

"My personal goal is to have 1,000 candles lit," said committee member Harris.

The Fourth Annual Relay for Life takes place May 15­16 at the Willow Glen High School track, 200 Cottle Ave. For information about teams, contact Julie Harris at 408.265.9993. To volunteer at the site during the event, call the American Cancer Society at 408.688.0100.