More than 400 small, white paper bags bearing the names of those affected by cancer lit up the indoor track of the O'Connell Center as about 1,200 participants walked a silent lap and carried candles in remembrance.
Friday night marked UF's fifth annual Relay for Life fundraiser, which gave participants and cancer survivors an opportunity to pool their donations and walk for a cure.
As the opening lap came to an end, the lights came on and nearly 15 hours of walking commenced to symbolize the search for a cure.
Many were costumed to match the event's theme of different destinations.
UF sophomore Mark Adams, dressed in pirate attire and sporting a heart-shaped tattoo that read "Matey for life," began walking the track in honor of his father, who died during Adams' senior year of high school.
A member of Friends for Life, a student organization that raises awareness of pediatric cancer, Adams said the group chose to dress as pirates for its theme of "Treasure Island" to entertain other walkers during the 18-hour relay.
While some participants walked the track, others visited the 62 booths circling the upper and lower floors, which offered different activities, such as face painting and video games, as well as a place to rest.
Adams said his group planned to raise money at their booth throughout the night by giving temporary tattoos and offering a jail cell for participants to "put a matey in the brig."
David Rountree, event chairman, said donations collected at and before the event totaled about $114,339, as of Sunday night. Online donations for the event have not been added, but Rountree said about $10,000 has been donated via Internet so far.
He said all of the money will be given to the American Cancer Society, which paid for the event's expenses.
Teams were asked to chose a theme based on this year's title, "Cruising for a Cure", said UF sophomore Andrew Ruiz, 19, event co-chair for the event. Many booths portrayed islands such as Fiji, Ireland and Antarctica, while others centered on outer-worldly destinations such as "Cosmic Lounge" and "Never Neverland."
Ruiz, who said the idea for the theme came from summer workshops, has participated in the event since his freshman year of high school and has since raised about $36,000.
Ruiz was 13 years old when he lost his mother to breast cancer. Despite the hardship, he decided to make a difference.
"It was like a wall I had to overcome," he said. "It hit me hard when she passed away."
Manned with a headset and turquoise staff shirt, Ruiz said he stayed at the event for about 24 hours to oversee all the committees involved.
Cancer survivors, dressed in purple T-shirts with "Survivor" sashes, shared their stories throughout the event.
UF freshman and 19-year-old cancer survivor Devon Vickers said she was diagnosed with an adult form of leukemia in 2001, a type of cancer rarely seen in children.
In 2006, Vickers said she received a bone marrow transplant, and her cancer has since been in remission.
While she has all her strength back and can live life as a normal student, she stressed there is no foolproof cure for cancer.
"It's the closest thing to being cured," she said.
