Teachers, 80+ Other Teams in This Weekend's Relay for Life

There are more than 750 participants and 80-plus teams who will participate in this weekend's  at in Framingham. The event is expected to raise more than $120,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Two of the 86 teams registered are Framingham Teachers Association teams, totally 15 members. This is the first year that the Association has fielded a team

The first Association team captained by Kristine Parker, a first grade teacher at , has raised almost $2,500, according to its website.

Parker's co-teacher in a first grade inclusion classroom Jen Jenkins raised the most for her team with more than $1,000. Other members of the team include Will Cook, Karen Dauer, Ann Marie Graff, Rosemary Jebari, Andrea Lewis, Laurel Martin, Deborah Sandler and Marjorie Sisitsky.

The second Framingham Teachers Association team is captained by McCarthy Elementary teacher Nicole Karpierz. Team members include Lori Brockway, Anne O'Donnell, Michaela Schult and Carol Skaggs.

"We wanted to do something in the community. The cause to raise money to fight cancer inspired everyone," said Parker.

"We wanted to rally together as an organization for a cause," said Parker. "Many on our teams have been touched by cancer, be it a loved one or a friend."

Opening ceremonies are at noon. Many Relays for Life open with a Survivors Lap, where survivors lead the way around the track while being honored and applauded by all participants. Being a part of the Survivors Lap allows survivors to celebrate what they’ve overcome while inspiring and motivating their community to fight. Survivors are proof that cancer can be defeated.

The teams will be there for 24 hours. There are fun events and special laps scheduled throughout Saturday and Sunday. The public is invited to come between noon and until the completion of the Luminaria ceremony.

American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease, according to a press release from the society.

At Relay for Life events, teams camp out  and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length

At 8:30 p.m. there will be a Luminaria ceremony.

Presently the top fundraising team, participating this weekend, is Hot To Trot, which has raised more than $16,000. The team is walking in memory of Jo-Ann Becker, who recently died from ovarian cancer. That team is co-captained by Joanne Jones and Paula Kane. Becker was a Natick resident.

This weekend's Relay for Life is for people with connections to Framingham, Natick and Sherborn. The Framingham firefighters also has a team.