Sunday wasn’t just another day at the Lied Recreation Center.

About 2,000 Story County residents and ISU students were running, walking or volunteering in the Story County Relay for Life.

“I think everybody likes to make a difference,” said Candi Kelly, Relay for Life volunteer from Ames.

Kelly, who worked at the registration table, said 115 teams registered for the eighth-annual American Cancer Society event. This is up from the 95 teams that participated last year.

“Almost every family has someone with cancer in it, and we want more survivors,” Kelly said.

Joe Colletti, co-chair of Relay for Life, said the event has honored cancer victim Peggy Neppel Darrah every year it has been in existence.

Darrah was an ISU student-athlete who lost her battle with cancer in 1981.

Colletti said this year’s relay surpassed its goal.

“We have raised $85,000 at noon, and our goal was $80,000,” Colletti said.

He said 40 cents of every dollar raised goes back to the national American Cancer Society for research, but it still helps Iowans.

“There is over $1,000,000 of cancer research done in Iowa,” Colletti said.

Money raised also comes back to the state for patient support and education, he said.

Tracy Flowers, junior in community health education, volunteered with her honorary sorority, Eta Sigma Gamma, at the event’s tobacco-education booth.

“Some people don’t know what it [smoking] does to their body,” she said. “We want to make people more aware of it.”

Flowers handed out brochures and talked to participants in the relay about the dangers of tobacco products.

ISU students not only volunteered but also participated in the relay’s cause.

“I live in the dorms, and I got a lot of people to give a dollar, and it added up,” said Eryn Mitchell, freshman in pre-architecture.

Colletti commended the university for its involvement in the relay.

“While this is a Story County event, Iowa State [students and staff] really came through,” he said.

He said ISU students and staff accounted for more than half of the relay’s members and volunteers.