Both are cancer survivors, and they plan to be present when Saratoga's first Relay For Life kicks off at Redwood Middle School at 10 a.m. on Aug. 6.

Mazucco and Arevalo are expected to be joined by nearly 200 community members, volunteers, cancer survivors and their friends and families as they remember cancer victims and honor those who beat the disease.

"I plan to meet other survivors and celebrate that we survived," Arevalo said. "But I have lost friends to cancer, so there are a lot of mixed emotions."

The 24-hour event, organized by the American Cancer Society, features numerous teams comprising eight to 20 people who run or walk around a track. Each team tries to keep at least one member on the track at all times. About 13 teams have signed up for the Saratoga relay.

Christine VanHoy, chairwoman for the event, said that she had received an encouraging response from the community.

"We're trying to educate people about cancer. We've tried to reach out to various sections of the community through local groups," she said.

VanHoy said each participating team has chosen a different color for itself, each representing a different kind of cancer.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's biggest national fund-raising event. More than 4,100 communities in the country now participate.

"The teams raise money through garage sales and other innovative ways," VanHoy said. She said that the organizers aim to raise $24,000 from this year's event, some of it through corporate sponsorship.

The first lap will be run by cancer survivors. Another significant ceremony occurs at sundown with the lighting of the luminarias--paper bags with candles in them. Each bag is dedicated to a cancer victim. VanHoy said that a cancer survivor will give a short speech as the luminarias are lit.

Angie Carrillo, marketing communications director for the American Cancer Society, said that the relay also includes entertainment for the whole family. The entertainment includes a special game zone for children, choir and rock groups, and movies on a big screen.

"We will have an information booth about the cancer society. Many people don't know about the kind of services we provide," Carrillo said.

For more information about the Saratoga Relay For Life, call Magda Jisrawi, community development manager for the event, at 408.688.0117 or email her at magda.jisrawi@cancer.org.