In the middle of the night on Friday, Relay for Life participants will be encouraged to fight back. Flags will be placed on Zerger Field representing the number of cases of cancer expected to be diagnosed in Pratt County during the next year, providing a powerful visual image, said Mary Sullivan, Relay for Life event chair. Participants in the Fight Back ceremony will be asked to make a personal commitment — promising to get a yearly mammogram, quit smoking, to spread the word about the importance of early detection screenings or raising money — some individual step in support of the theme, “Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back.”

Testimonials from cancer survivors throughout the night will bring another element of realism to this year’s relay. They will speak about their diagnosis, the tests they have had and the help they have received from the American Cancer Society. It will emphasize that the money raised does have a local impact, Sullivan said.

Fifteen percent of funds raised are earmarked for cancer researched. Right now the American Cancer Society is funding five research grants in Kansas worth $3.3 million, Sullivan said. Twenty percent goes to prevention programs, 16 percent to detection and treatment programs and 20 percent to ease the financial burden cancer places on patients and their families.

As always, the event will start with the presentation of colors at 7 p.m. Friday, the national anthem and the first lap around the track by cancer survivors. A 10 p.m. luminaria ceremony is always an impressive sight, with glow sticks lining the track and the reading of honorees and loved ones being memorialized read by Judge Robert Schmisseur. Luminaries are $10 and may be purchased from any Relay team member or by calling Mary Sullivan at 672-8436. Woodworking students at Pratt High and Skyline School cut more than 2,000 wood blocks to hold the glow sticks upright in the sacks, replacing the sand that has been used in previous years.

Along with its serious moments, the Relay for Life is a party. The community is invited to come, even if they’re not participating. There are just a few rules: no unsupervised children, no pets and no smoking. The event goes on rain or shine.

Supper can be purchased at a food court at the Zerger Field concession area, with donations going to the American Cancer Society. The First United Methodist Church youth will sell a sloppy joe meal and Lakewood Senior Living will have hot dogs. The Wal-Mart team will sell nachos with cheese and/or chili at their campsite.

Prizes are awarded for the oldest and youngest walkers, best campsite, best baton and best team spirit. Contests, including musical bingo that is new to the Relay this year, keep everyone awake and energized. At 1:30 a.m., survivors will host a pancake feed, another new feature, “to give everyone that sugar boost to continue on in the night,” Sullivan noted.

There will be games to play: scrabble with the Kennedy and Coe K Coe Gamers, pitch with the First United Methodist Church Fight Cancer with Teamwork team and poker with the team from Dillons.

At 11:15 the Queen of the Night contestants will begin walking around the track with their purses, collecting votes in the form of donations. The winner will be crowned at midnight and receive a tiara and sash.

Several teams will be offering prizes in exchange for donations, with drawings held during the Relay.

Although team bank nights were scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, some teams don’t turn their money in until Friday, Sullivan said, so it’s impossible to predict how much money will be raised. Corporate sponsorship is up this year, with a great response from Pratt businesses.