Kari Liotta played on her high school’s softball team, worked a part-time job, volunteered in her community and participated in National Honor Society. She was a normal 16-year-old girl.

But then Liotta was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and after a frightening month and a half of receiving radioactive iodine treatments, overcame it. However, in that time her perspective on life changed for good.

“Having cancer at such a young age, I got a lot of perspective that many people do not get until later in life,” said Liotta, now a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the college of Human Ecology. “It gave me a gratefulness for each and every day.”

Liotta shared her survival story last Friday to the approximately 2,000 to 3,000 participants at the University’s Relay for Life, held at the Track and Soccer Stadium from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday.

“(Liotta) was able to hit many of the themes that people who have been touched by cancer experience,” said Michelle Zeman, president of Colleges Against Cancer and a senior in LAS. “She talked about hope, power and the need to do something. She put people in a positive frame of mind.”

This year’s Relay for Life not only had a record number of teams, but also received a record amount of money. The 203 teams that participated raised almost $248,300 by Friday night, with more donations still coming in until midsummer.

Following the opening ceremony, participants had the opportunity to walk the track, partake in activities or watch the entertainment including a dodgeball tournament, a bags game, stage performances and free food.

“My favorite activity had to be Robyn Kirk’s workout class at 4:15 in the morning,” Zeman said. “I thought it was so funny to see everybody participating in dance aerobics at such a late hour.”

At 10 p.m. the Luminaria Ceremony began. Luminarias, white bags illuminated by a glowstick, lined the perimeter of the track and were arranged to spell the word “hope,” and later the bags were rearranged to spell the word “cure” on the bleachers. When the ceremony commenced, the lights were dimmed, the luminarias were lit and the Eternal Flame Awards were presented. These awards, new to Relay For Life this year, were presented to a cancer survivor, a family touched by cancer and a caregiver of someone with cancer.

“We tried to keep the Luminaria Ceremony focused on hope and cure instead of being sad and bogged down too,” Zeman said. “The participants were glad that we had that focus on hope and a positive outlook for the future.”

The festivities began again after the Luminaria Ceremony and continued until sunrise when the closing ceremony was held.

“Relay for Life is hope,” Liotta said. “It’s a way of bringing people together from all different walks of life for one reason, and that’s hope.”