With 41 teams registered and 35 teams having participated in Saturday’s Dallas County Relay for Life, organizers once again shattered their goal, raising nearly $120,000 toward cancer research.

Relay chair Tanya Miles said this year’s relay brought more people together than in times past.

“Everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves. We had a great mixture,” Miles said. “We had a bigger crowd this year … they’re really looking forward to next year’s relay.”

In addition to the lighting of the luminaries, the relay offered something new: sky lanterns. Miles said organizers sold 30 lanterns on relay night.

“This year we had a sky lantern piece (which) stood about 3 feet tall,” Miles said. “It has charcoal at the bottom, we lit the charcoal and let them go … (they) went up to the sky along with the luminarias spelling ‘hope’ … this was an awesome relay.”

Miles said she wanted to thank all schools, churches and businesses that helped to make this year’s Relay a success.

“We really appreciate the support of our corporate sponsors,” Miles said. “We’d like to thank Warren Manor and Vaughan (Regional Medical Center), they were the top businesses with donations (raised a combined $21,000); we’re still taking donations.”

Top fundraisers for this year’s relay included: Top schools — Southside Primary School, $7,000 and Southside High School, $4,000; Top family: Rose family, raised $1,000; Top organization: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., raised more than $7,000; and Top Church: Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, nearly $5,000.

Miles also said Bikers for Christ will have a bike ride Saturday, June 23 to help raise money for Dallas County Relay for Life.

For more information about relay events, call Miles at 412-9675 or Relay for Life co-chair Veronica Brown at 412-6238.

The Relay for Life shattered last year’s goal of nearly $110,000. This year’s theme was “tailgating for a cure.”