Many teams had chaperones bring food throughout the night. Chaperones often switched shifts to avoid staying at the event for the entire night. The event officially went from 4:30 PM until 6:30 AM, and no participants could enter or leave before opening or closing ceremonies. Photo courtesy of McDaniel’s photography.

At 6 pm, the event kicked off with opening ceremonies, in which survivors and care takers of cancer patients spoke about how the event affects them. The ceremonies were followed by the first lap, which was led by the survivors and care takers, and everyone walked together. Following the lap, the event settled into the cycles of participants walking. Photo courtesy of McDaniel’s photography.

Henna tattoos were offered at a booth for $5 before the Luminaria ceremony. Henna is a plant-based tattoo traditional to Indian culture, and it fades after about two weeks. A portion of the proceeds was donated to Cancer research. Photo courtesy of Meghan DiGiovanna.

Participants arrived and met up with their teams sporadically between 4:30 pm and 6 pm. Many teams laid out tarps for their stuff, and in case of rain. There were also games of frisbee, football, and soccer that broke out throughout the evening, when participants weren’t needed walking. Photo courtesy of McDaniel’s photography.

Luminarias could be purchased in dedication to a Cancer patient, survivor, or victim, and were lit after dark. During the ceremony for their lighting, survivors and loved ones of the deceased shared their stories. The lighting was followed by an hour of complete silence, with all participants walking around the track. Photo courtesy of McDaniel’s photography.

Lumarias were arranged in a large “HOPE” on the bleachers, and it was visible during the hour of silence. This was meant to symbolize the hope for a cure and a brighter future without cancer. There were also Lumarias lining the track, and some loved ones stopped around certain Lumarias during the hour of silence. Photo courtesy of Mongomery RFL on twitter.

“One Degree” signs where passed out during the event. These show support of continued federal funding for Cancer research, by sharing the name of a cancer patient that the sign holder is “one degree” away from. This means that they know them personally, and these photos are posted under the hashtag #onedegree. Photo courtesy of Anna Tyger on twitter.

At the concession stands, there was a hair donation booth where 21 girls donated their hair. Girls were encouraged to cut their hair to donate for wigs for cancer patients that have lost their hair due to treatments such as chemotherapy. At least eight inches of hair were necessary to donate. Photo courtesy of Montgomery RFL on twitter.

Musical guests performed at the event, and participants not currently walking could go listen to the performer for free. There were three performers throughout the night, and a DJ when no one was preforming. The space used for musical guests was also used for the opening, closing, and Luminaria ceremonies. Photo courtesy of Bryce Hitchcock on twitter.