The sun had begun to set. As the sky darkened from deep blue to black, little lights began to glow around the track. Like candles floating on a pond, the white bags cast a glow over the people moving in a circle. As more of the lights sprang to life, Melissa Bazala realized how many people had felt as she did right now: sad and frustrated.

Bazala continued to circle the track, participating for the first time in the Relay for Life of West Seattle. Her mother, now in a wheelchair as a result of her own battle with cancer, had been the catalyst that inspired Bazala to get involved with a group that was doing something to combat the disease. As she and her mother continued around the track, the power of the luminaria ceremony overwhelmed them both.

Not long after that emotional night, Bazala's mother succumbed to her cancer. But Bazala didn't lose her desire to fight. She was the event chair for West Seattle's Relay, which was in its eighth year.

Relay for Life is a fund-raising walk for the American Cancer Society. Events like the one that took place in West Seattle occur annually in many cities and communities in the United States, as well as in 19 other countries.

The purpose of the Relay is to raise funds and awareness for the ongoing fight against cancer. Last year, Relays across the nation were able to raise a combined total of over $405 million. West Seattle Relay's goals weren't as lofty as that, but they hoped to contribute $100,000, said organizer Karee Boone.

Apart from raising money, Relay for Life events grant an opportunity for people who have been touched by cancer to come together and share their experiences.

"You really get a sense of how many people's lives are affected by cancer," Bazala said, "and that (the friends and family) are still missed and loved."

The overnight relay begins with a survivors lap. Participants who have beaten cancer take the track together in a display of solidarity.

"It's really cool to see how many people in our own community have won their fight," said Boone.

But both Boone and Bazala say that the most moving part of any Relay is the ceremony of hope, during which the luminaria are lit. Each little white bag, illuminated by a candle inside, has someone's name on it who has either beaten or been lost to cancer. The names of each person are read aloud at the beginning of the ceremony.

"Most people walk the track and try and to find the name of the person they have dedicated a candle to," Bazala said. "We try to have an uplifting and fun event, but at the heart of it, the fact remains that too many people in our lives have or have had cancer."

"We're really there to say thank you and offer support," said Bazala. "And we want to let the community know that The American Cancer Society has resources for them and wants to help."

Jeremiah Rygus is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory and can be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com