ENCINITAS — Circling around on a dusty quarter-mile track for 24 hours doesn’t seem like the most obvious way to help fund cancer research. Yet on Aug. 17 and Aug. 18, hundreds of cancer patients, survivors, caretakers and their family and friends gathered at Oak Crest Middle School to do just that.

Each year the American Cancer Society organizes these relays under the theme of “cancer never sleeps.” People came in groups to make sure that at least one member of their team was walking at any given time. They provided entertainment, food and activities for the attendees while educating them on how to avoid and detect cancer. Signs were planted every few feet with tips such as “put on sunscreen,” “get regular checkups,” “eat healthy” and “exercise.”

The most visible sign of the prevalence of cancer, along with the people who support those who have it, was the ceremony dubbed Luminaria. Friends and family could purchase paper bags that they would write messages on and then line the track with them. Once night fell, volunteers started to place candles inside each, creating a flickering path that guided the walker’s steps throughout the night.

By the time morning came on Sunday, the people who stayed on through the night were tired, and those who had slept in tents on the grass were sore, but heartfelt dedication showed in each person during the closing ceremony. As they led one last silent lap around the track, each survivor, friend and family member walked without sorrow, holding hands and smiling.