Students and teachers at Live Oak Elementary School will soon host a mini Relay for Life event to raise funds for cancer research.

Kimberly Inscho, Relay for Life team captain for Live Oak, said students and teachers at the school will be given the opportunity to find friends and family who will sponsor them based on the number of laps they walk around the track at the school on Saturday, March 15.

The relay will take place from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Walkers will officially begin marking laps at 10 a.m. Each participant who signed up to get sponsors will be given a lanyard with a bead tied to the end. At the end of each lap, each will add a bead to his/her lanyard.

Inscho said relay officials, who are members of Live Oak’s Relay for Life team, will count beads at noon and give participants a slip noting their official number of laps. They will then collect from their sponsors and turn in money raised by Friday, March 28.

In addition to the relay, Inscho said the event will include snacks and drinks being sold for $1; a raffle drawing for three gift baskets; and different announcements and poetry throughout the event.

Inscho said there will also be a variety of awareness stations for students and parents. Informational stations will include Sun Safety, Tobacco Safety, Nutrition and Exercise. As part of the exercise station, a coach at the elementary school will have blow-up slide for everyone to use and enjoy.

"We are not sure how big this will be as it is our first attempt at something like this. It is my hope that we have a big response and can raise money and awareness in our community," Inscho said. "Chris Jones, our American Cancer Society representative, has been extremely helpful in getting me information about Relay Recess, which is a program that connects Relay with schoolchildren. I would like to build on this event for next year and possibly follow the Relay Recess information more."

Inscho said Live Oak has set a goal of raising $1,500 during the March event.