The “survivors’ lap” about an hour ago marked the traditional start of Relay for Life of West Seattle – the 10th annual all-night cancer-fighting fundraiser at West Seattle Stadium. This year, 22 teams with a total of 177 members are circling the track – one by one, or maybe more – till noon tomorrow, with $35,000 pledged so far, and high hopes that it’ll be more by the time Saturday afternoon arrives. You are welcome to drop in and cheer them on – one of the most memorable moments is just a few hours away, the luminaria ceremony to honor memories of those who didn’t win the fight; that’s scheduled for about 10 pm, and again, all are welcome.

This evening, the participants got a pep talk from King County Executive Dow Constantine, who has been on hand for past relays – including the first one in 2001.

ADDED: From the late-night luminaria ceremony – we walked along the luminarias along the south side of the stadium. You can hear, like murmuring in the background, names being read, for those who were being remembered:

After the luminarias (using battery-powered lights this year rather than candles) were lit, those on hand were asked to walk quietly along the track, to remember, and pay tribute. ADDED: One of the final events of the relay – the Kids’ Lap!

(Video still to come from the big announcement at the end.)