Temperatures in the 80's are expected for the 9th annual Ceres Relay for Life which gets underway at 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning at Ceres High School. The event is expected to draw at least a thousand people over the following 24-hour period with two goals: Offering support to those affected by cancer and raising $35,000 to bring the world closer to curing cancer.

Ceres Relay for Life Committee Chairperson Angela Durossette said the monetary goal has been reached already which she called "really great news."

All proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society.

The Relay gets off to an early start on Saturday when members of the Ceres Lions Club cook and serve up breakfast to cancer survivors between 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. at the west of the stadium. Survivors are also given a free gift package and invited to walk the first lap with caretakers or any other supporters.

The Relay opening ceremony will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. then as cancer survivors walk the first lap around the Ceres High School football stadium track.

For the following 24 hours, team members will take turns around the track, either running, walking, wheeling or being pulled. Each team is supposed to have a member on the track during the 24 hours.

The public is invited to come down and cheer on the walkers and enjoy the entertainment that will be provided the 24 hours. There will be ample opportunities to play games or purchase items being sold at each team's station. Some teams will sell food and homemade crafts, and offer raffle baskets. Each booth will highlight a specific cancer and will offer literature on that cancer.

The Ceres High School jazz band will perform from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the west end of the field.

Becki's Munchkinland kids will perform from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Steps Dance Studio will provide students in dance art form from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Team Endure will perform 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon.

The Central Valley High School Dance Impulse will perform 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Music by DJ Mark Carpenter will be played from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Inside Out will play from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Blaker Kinser Junior High School's Dance Impact is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Ceres High School Perpetual Motion dance team will take the center field from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Blue Line "Road to Recovery" will be on the stage track from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Ceres Karate will take center field from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

A special Relay's Got Talent contest will be offered at 7 p.m. with final sign-ups by 4 p.m.

Music played by disk jockey Mark Carpenter will start at 8 p.m. and be stopped for the luminaria ceremony at 9 p.m.

At 10 p.m. Saturday the Survivor/Caregiver Reception will start with a movie night.

Carpenter will be played music at 11 p.m. during a special midnight pizza time and spirit of relay.

A special Kids Kamp will operate from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with face painting at 10 a.m., Kid Time Fitness at 10:30 a.m., crafts at 11 a.m., a fire truck exhibit at 11:30 a.m., art contest at noon, dance demo at 12:30 p.m., canine demonstration at 1 p.m., Angela's Fossils at 1:45 p.m., and art contest winner announcements at 2 p.m.

At dusk comes the moving Luminaria event, which allows anyone to decorate a bag in memory of a loved one in which a candle will be placed and set around the darkened track as each name is read over the loudspeaker. Luminaries may be purchased for $10 on Saturday morning and afternoon.

The Relay goes all night and closes with a Sunday ceremony at 8 a.m. with the final fundraising announcement.

Funds raised in Ceres will be used to support the myriads of services and research by the ACS. Besides the medical research, the ACS offers emotional support to cancer patients and families, and volunteers provide rides for patients to chemotherapy treatments.

The committee will host its final fundraiser, a community rummage sale set for Saturday, May 17 at Ceres High School.