By Lori EhdeTemperatures dipped into the 30s Friday night into Saturday morning, but that didn’t stop Rock County Relay for Life teams and volunteers from walking through the night around the Luverne City Park.The local event raised a record $60,700 for the American Cancer Society, again surpassing the original $35,000 target goal and even the $45,000 stretch goal."It was an awesome turnout," said Luverne’s Glenda Schomacker, cancer survivor and this year’s Relay co-chair."We’ve got an awesome community. … We have more luminaries than the Sioux Falls Relay for Life, and it’s year after year after year."Vivian Holst serves as treasurer for Rock County’s Relay for Life. She is still tallying results as money continues to trickle in. "It just overwhelms you," she said.She said generous donations this year may have been prompted by new and creative fund-raisers.For example each of the teams this year assembled theme baskets of products that were sold on silent auction. They brought in $1,485, with the top basket bringing $80."We were very well pleased with that," Holst said. "We’re going to do that again next year."Also, the Father’s Day brunch, which will be an annual event at future Rock County Relays added to this year’s total. "I think that helped a lot, and I think people are becoming more aware of cancer and that we do need research to find a cure."Of the 22 teams in this year’s Rock County Relay for Life, Continental Western Group-Berkley Technology Services raised $5,700. American Reformed Church, Luverne raised $4,700, and Steen Reformed Girls League raised $3,200.Local businesses making corporate donations at the $1,000 level were Minnwest Bank, the hospital and clinic (each at $1,000), Glen’s Food Center and the city of Luverne.Schomacker read a letter from cancer survivor Earleen Eitriem who wrote about the importance of research to finding a cure.The letter addressed concern among donors that the money doesn’t stay in communities that have Relay for Life.Schomacker said all of the money raised in Rock County this year wouldn’t fund an average person’s cancer treatment, so it’s important to support research on a national level."It seems like so much money could be used locally, and it probably could, but we would greatly negatively affect the future hope for a cure for cancer by not supporting research," Eitriem wrote. "I think I can truly say that if it were not for research, I would not be doing as well as I am, and or possibly even already passed on."In 2001, the community raised $51,750, an unheard first-time effort for a community starting Relay for Life. In 2002, the local event raised $44,128, and last year volunteers raised $57,763 for the Cancer Society.Relay for Life is the trademark fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society. The annual event involves teams of runners and walkers competing against each other to raise the most money.Teams of individuals representing corporations, hospitals, neighborhoods and families take turns on the track through the night with at least one team member on the track at a time.The Relay for Life is now held nationwide, and thousands of people participate each year to help fight cancer.The event is most noted for its luminaries that glow in memory of individuals who have died from cancer or in honor of those who have survived cancer.While the Relay and luminaries are the focal point of the event, the field is filled with local entertainment, food booths and planned activities.